First Look: Petermann Bédat Reference 2941
The second opus from the watchmaking duo Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat comes in the form of monopusher split-seconds chronograph with a jumping minute counter. This monument to fine mechanics bridges classical watchmaking with a young contemporary spirit.
Petermann Bédat Reference 2941
Gaël Petermann & Florian Bédat
Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat first met at the watchmaking school of Geneva in 2007, graduating in 2011. After two and a half years working at Harry Winston in Geneva, Florian Bédat relocated to Glasshütte to join his friend and soon-to-be business partner, Gaël Petermann, at A. Lange & Söhne. In September 2014, Gaël returned to Switzerland where he began a career restoring vintage and complicated watches in Geneva. Two years later, Florian decided to once again join Gaël, and together, the pair opened a workshop in Renens. Their choice was largely influenced by the availability of a workshop space beside master watchmaker Dominique Renaud’s atelier.
Restoring timepieces made by the greatest watchmaking names in history was probably one of the best ways to build a solid foundation of knowledge. Yet Gaël and Florian wanted more: to create their own movement. This eventualised in the form of their first wristwatch, the 1967 deadbeat seconds, in 2018.
Discover Petermann Bédat on our online digital exhibition, The Persistence of Memory
Monopusher Chronograph
From their small artisanal workshop in Renens, Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat take on a new challenge. The new Reference 2941 has a level of complexity that reaches beyond the design of a traditional chronograph.
A split-second function is added to the basic chronograph movement, allowing for intervals of time that begin at the same instant to be measured in parallel. This is particularly challenging to design, construct, and adjust; yet the 2941 takes this further, with an additional safety that effectively prevents an unintentional reset of the stopwatch.
The jumping minute counter makes a rare appearance. This complication was first presented in wristwatches some 30 years ago, and testifies to great savoire-faire and dexterity, usually reserved for collector pieces.
For Petermann Bédat, the chronograph being a single-pusher was non-negotiable. “This was primarily a question of aesthetic balance,” they explain. The resulting watch has a strikingly balanced appearance, with one pusher at the crown at 3 o’clock, and the split-seconds pusher discreetly located at 10 o’clock.
The display caseback showing the in-house Calibre 202 movement.
Its 38.6mm platinum case houses the in-house Calibre 202 movement, that features German silver main plate and bridges. Comprising of 339 components and 43 jewels, this is beautifully decorated with various hand finishing on the bridges and parts. The watch boasts a power reserve of 42 hours and beats at 18,000 vibrations per hour. Limited to 10 pieces.
