Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat are not a large operation. They work out of a workshop in Renens, just outside Lausanne, and they founded the brand in 2017. Their debut piece, the Reference 1967 Deadbeat Seconds, came out in 2020 and won the Horological Revelation Prize at the GPHG that year. Their second watch, the 2941 split-seconds, took the GPHG Chronograph Prize in 2023. Now they've done something that even well-funded manufactures approach carefully: they built a new chronograph calibre of their own.
The result is the Reference 2914 Monopusher, a 36.5mm watch that marks Petermann Bédat's first chronograph-only piece. One new movement in a year is a good year for a small independent. Two years in a row, with the second being a full chronograph caliber, is a different story entirely.
This is the watch you pay attention to if you follow what independent watchmaking is actually capable of.
What's Actually New Here
The hand-wound calibre 234 is their own. According to SJX, it's essentially the cal. 202 from the 2941 without the split-seconds, plus the free-sprung balance the duo first developed for the 1825. The layout loosely follows the Valjoux 23, a classic chronograph base. It works as a monopusher, so a single pusher handles start, stop and reset in sequence. Other details: an instantly jumping minute counter and solid gold wheels with hand-bevelled spokes.
The 950 platinum case measures 36.5mm, which puts it on the smaller, more considered end of the spectrum. That's a deliberate choice from this duo. Their watches have never been about presence through size. They're about presence through finishing and mechanical integrity.
Building a new chronograph caliber is one of the hardest things any watchmaker can do. Petermann Bédat is a two-person independent. The fact that this movement exists at all says more about their capabilities than any marketing language could.
Who This Watch Is For
You don't buy a Petermann Bédat because you want a recognizable logo or a resale floor. You buy one because you've done your homework on what goes into a watch and you've concluded that these two people are doing something genuinely serious.
The 2914 is for the collector who already understands why a monopusher chronograph is mechanically interesting, who cares about the history of that architecture, and who wants something made in real numbers by real hands rather than something stamped out at scale.
It also suits the collector who finds 40mm-plus chronographs too aggressive on the wrist. At 36.5mm, this wears more like a dress watch that happens to time things. That combination is rarer than you'd think.
How It Fits Against the Field
Comparing Petermann Bédat to larger brands is a bit of a category error, but the relevant comparison is to other serious independents working in the chronograph space. F.P. Journe's monopusher chronographs and the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronographe Flyback are the obvious benchmarks. SJX points out that the 2914 is priced above the Rexhepi.
Petermann Bédat isn't claiming that territory yet, but the direction is unmistakable. Each reference they release shows more technical ambition than the last. The 2914 is proof that the duo isn't content to refine a formula. They're expanding what they're capable of building.
At 36.5mm with an in-house mono pusher caliber, the 2914 also sits in a different conversation than most modern sport chronographs. It's not chasing the vintage reissue market. It's not trying to be a tool watch. It's a mechanical argument for the chronograph as a refined, intimate complication.
Key Details at a Glance
- Case diameter: 36.5mm
- Complication: Monopusher chronograph, single pusher for start, stop, reset
- Movement: In-house calibre 234, hand-wound, free-sprung balance, jumping minute counter
- Case: 950 platinum, sapphire caseback
- Limited edition: 20 pieces
- Price: CHF 180,000 (~€193,000) excl. tax
- Brand context: First chronograph-only watch from Petermann Bédat, after the 1967, 2941 and 1825
- Maker: Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat, workshop in Renens, Switzerland
Petermann Bédat continues to be one of the most compelling stories in independent watchmaking right now. The Reference 2914 Monopusher is their most technically demanding watch to date, and it looks like they've delivered. It's limited to 20 pieces at CHF 180,000 (~€193,000) before tax.
Comments
No comments yet, be the first to weigh in.