Petermann Bèdat

Petermann Bèdat

    Petermann Bèdat

    Gaël Petermann and Florian Bèdat’s history goes back to when the two aspiring watchmakers met as students at the Ecole d'Horlogerie de Genève. When Petermann went on to learn his craft at the house of A. Lange & Söhne, Bèdat found his way back to him, joining him at the manufacture in Glashütte after a stint with Harry Winston. The duo became inseparable and when they felt the pull of home, they moved back to Switzerland and began on the path to independence by honing their craft in restoration. They set up their workshop in Renens, next door to Dominique Renaud (of Renaud et Papi), with the experienced watchmaker helping the duo design their first manually wound calibre with deadbeat seconds that would become the basis for the 1967. The watch was awarded the Horological Revelation Prize in 2020 by the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genéve. Their second watch, the Reference Reference 2941 – a refined monopusher chronograph with split seconds complication and a jumping minutes display – came just three years later in 2023.

    Petermann Bèdat’s approach is fresh even within their cohort of the newest wave of talented young independent watchmakers in Switzerland. The two have shown themselves to be thoughtful in their re-interpretation of history and humble in their willingness to learn and adapt. They play to their strengths, which include complex construction and superlative finishing, as evidenced by their trajectory of increasingly complicated pieces.

    Over seven years, Petermann Bèdat has created fewer than 30 watches. Their output is commensurate with the artisanal nature of their craft, evident in both the concept and execution of the 1967 and the Reference 2941.

    As early supporters of the brand’s vision of modern haute horlogerie, we have since become authorised retailers for Petermann Bédat. Be it the second series of the 1967 in titanium or the follow up to the Reference 2941, we are excited by the prospect of this duo’s next chapter.

    young independent Swiss watchmakers Petermann Bédat 1967 Deadbeat Seconds rose gold time-only watch independent watchmakers order official retailer A Collected Man London young independent Swiss watchmakers Petermann Bédat 1967 Deadbeat Seconds rose gold time-only watch independent watchmakers order official retailer A Collected Man London

    The Designs

    Reference to quartza

    The 1967 boldly references what is perhaps one of the most turbulent periods for the Swiss industry – the year that marked the ascendance of quartz technology. In fact, initial prototypes featured a solid dial that offered indication that this was indeed a mechanical watch. Later, the watchmakers – with help from design Nicolas Barth Nussbaumer – iterated on the dial side aesthetic, including a sapphire sector ring around the steel centre, thereby revealing some of the finely finished mechanics of the calibre underneath.

    Deadbeat seconds

    The manually wound calibre 171 features a secondary escapement that governs the deadbeat function. In fact, it dominates the movement side view, crowning the three-quarter-style bridge. As the fourth wheel of the going train rotates, so does the ratchet wheel atop it, locking and unlocking the double-sided, arrow-tipped pallet fork. The motion is transferred through to the next spring-loaded ratchet wheel which advances the second hand in one-second increments. It pays homage to a seconde morte architecture devised by Robert Gafner, an instructor at La Chaux-de-Fonds Watchmaking School in the 1940s.

    Mid-century charm

    The concave bezel and sector-style dial layout referenced vintage and well-loved design cues, without being pastiche. The volume of the printed Arabic hours chapter and the batons on the sector, further lift the dial, while the fine black polishing and anglage on the stainless-steel components of the keyless works, further the impression of depth. The simplicity of the case helps balance the technical appearance of the secondary deadbeat escapement on the movement side.

    Germanic influence

    The Reference 2941 wears several cues that point to the formative years its makers spent at one of the oldest and best respected names in German watchmaking, A. Lange & Söhne. Chief among these is the extensive black polishing on the stainless-steel components on the movement side. The effect, laid out against the canvas of Côtes de Genève on the baseplate, is dazzling. The chronograph pusher, integrated into the deeply knurled crown, further leans on the watchmakers’ preference for German pocket watches from the 19th century.

    Design with purpose

    Codifying the language that was first seen on the 1967, the sapphire sector disk is retained to showcase a mechanical detail, namely the chronograph column wheel and split seconds complication. Crafted in Kari Voutilainen’s Comblémine dial making concern to the watchmakers’ design, it is thoughtful in its details and execution.

    The calibre 202

    Building on the young watchmakers’ history, the 339-part calibre 202 is a development on the calibre 171, requiring as much as 900 hours of work to assemble and finish. Its technical sophistication – which include jumping, rather than drifting chronograph minutes – and impressive finishing are the reason why the watchmakers are limiting the Reference 2941 to just 10 pieces.
    Read interviews and articles at A Collected Man | Buy & Sell rare watches at A Collected Man Read interviews and articles at A Collected Man | Buy & Sell rare watches at A Collected Man
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    Articles

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    Interview Independent Watchmaking
    From meeting at watchmaking school to beginning their own workshop, Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat are part of the exciting new wave of independent watchmaking.

    Creating Petermann Bédat

    By A Collected Man
    February 2020 • 9 Min Read
    A film with watchmakers Petermann Bédat

    A film with watchmakers Petermann Bédat

    By A Collected Man
    November 2020 • 6 Min Read
    Five Watchmakers Pick Their Favourite Movement - Part II

    Five Watchmakers Pick Their Favourite Movement - Part II

    By Russell Sheldrake
    March 2021 • 10 Min Read
    Read A Collected Man Journal | Inspirations Behind Today’s Independent Watchmakers | Daniel Rother | Svend Andersen | Cyril Brivet-Naudot | Raúl Pagès | Sylvain Pinaud | Kari Voutilainen

    Inspirations Behind Today’s Independent Watchmakers

    By Kwan Ann Tan
    April 2023 • 12 Min Read
    What Is Independent Watchmaking?

    What Is Independent Watchmaking?

    By A Collected Man
    December 2021 • 19 Min Read

    Petermann Bèdat at A Collected Man

    1967 Deadbeat Seconds | Rose Gold
    selling Petermann Bédat 1967 Deadbeat Seconds rose gold time-only watch independent watchmakers order official retailer A Collected Man London
    Petermann Bédat 1967 Deadbeat Seconds, Rose Gold Sold
    1967 Deadbeat Seconds | White Gold
    selling Petermann Bédat 1967 Deadbeat Seconds white gold time-only watch independent watchmakers order official retailer A Collected Man London
    Petermann Bédat 1967 Deadbeat Seconds, White Gold Sold

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