Since our last published conversation, Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat have continued redefining independent artisanal watchmaking through their unique collaborative approach. Their partnership, which began as a friendship at the Watchmaking School of Geneva from 2007 to 2011, has evolved into one of Switzerland's most compelling horological success stories.

Both watchmakers refined their skills at prestigious manufactures—Gaël at A. Lange & Söhne, and Florian at Harry Winston before joining Gaël at Lange. These experiences, combined with restoration work at Christie's, provided the technical foundation for their independent venture, which was launched from their Renens workshop in 2017. Their trajectory since establishing Petermann Bédat has been remarkable. The Reference 1967 Deadbeat Seconds captured the Horological Revelation Prize at GPHG in 2020, followed by the Reference 2941 Split-Seconds Chronograph winning the Chronograph Watch Prize in 2023.

We caught up with Gaël and Florian to discuss how their brand has evolved, the lessons learned from their award-winning complications, and what the future holds for their collaborative approach to horological excellence.

HOW ARE YOU MANAGING PRODUCTION FOLLOWING THE LAUNCH OF THE REFERENCE 2941 SPLIT-SECONDS CHRONOGRAPH? AND HOW ARE YOU BALANCING OUTPUT BETWEEN THE REFERENCE 1967 AND THE REFERENCE 2941?

GAËL: The team grew. For the Deadbeat Seconds, finding the right watchmakers and teaching them was a long process. For the chronograph, we hired watchmakers with a lot of experience. It was interesting for us; one came from Greubel-Forsey, one from Kari Voutilainen; they all have different techniques and experiences.

Initially, when it was just Florian and me, we had to manage our time between working at the bench, calling clients and suppliers, and managing the business. We decided that it was better for our experienced watchmakers to work on the Split-Seconds Chronograph, and we could focus on the Deadbeat Seconds because it is challenging to regulate. Right now, three of us, including our oldest watchmaker, are working on the Deadbeat Seconds and two others are working on the chronograph.

DO YOU PLAN TO TRAIN THE TEAM TO WORK ACROSS ALL REFERENCES, OR DO YOU PLAN TO MAINTAIN THIS DIVISION OF LABOUR?

GAËL: For us, it is our ambition for our watchmakers to be able to do everything. That’s the goal.

YOU MENTIONED HAVING TO BALANCE THE COMPETING DEMANDS OF RUNNING A BUSINESS. DID YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING ON THE FLY AS WELL?

FLORIAN: We know branding is important, but we are not good at it, haha! We try our best, but if we have more budget for that in the future, we'll work on it. There are many more independent watchmakers now. Some are run by sole watchmakers, and others have larger workshops. We want to build a strong reputation and let that inform the brand, not the other way around. F.P.Journe is one of the best examples; no amount of advertising could compete with the brand's legendary reputation. When Mr. Journe is no longer with us, his brand will still live on. Our goal is to establish a cohesive brand instead of both of our individual names.

WHEN YOU’RE A WATCHMAKING STUDENT, YOU FOCUS ON THE TECHNIQUE OVER BUSINESS, RIGHT? WAS THIS A CHALLENGE OR AN UNEXPECTED NUISANCE AFTER GOING INDEPENDENT?

FLORIAN: I don't see it as something I don't want to do; rather, it is a new challenge every time there is a new model: How much with this or that be, how do we plan this, etc. Now that we have some experience, it isn't so daunting, but for me, it is more of a challenge than a nuisance.

YOU'VE HAD SUCCESS, INCLUDING TWO HIGHLY RESPECTED WATCHES, BUT HOW DO YOU STAY TRUE TO YOUR VISION? EVERYONE HAS AN OPINION ON WHAT YOU, OR MORE BROADLY, THE WATCH INDUSTRY, SHOULD DO NEXT.

GAËL: Of course, we listen and take advice from many, but like you say, sometimes you find yourselves in a situation when one person says you should do something and another says you shouldn't. If you listen to everyone, you can't move forward. First, we must agree amongst the two of us, and we also have the counsel of our designer and other people we can trust, including Michael Tay. Michael has known us for a while so he has a long-term vision. We also listen to the thoughts of our clients. But you must balance this with your vision; it is in our nature to move forward, so the decision rests with us at the end of the day.

YOU'VE FAMOUSLY COLLABORATED WITH THEO AUFFRET. THE CURRENT GENERATION OF ARTISANAL INDEPENDENT WATCHMAKERS SEEMS TO SHARE A GREAT DEAL OF CAMARADERIE.

FLORIAN: Yes, we had a great collaboration with Theo. Theo has his own style, and we have our own style. But both combine very well in the end. Each time, we communicated well, and we were all happy. We also seek advice from the team at MB&F; they have far more experience than most young watchmakers.

GAËL: With Theo, we speak more about the technicalities. I was a little apprehensive initially, as learning to work with someone takes time. But in the end, I was very satisfied with the renderings. It wasn't an issue at all. But on the business side, the best advice comes from industry veterans like MB&F and Kari Voutilainen. There is a sense of camaraderie across the industry. If someone has a bad experience with something, they share it, and we can all learn from it.

WHEN YOU TALK TO INDUSTRY VETERANS, DOES KNOWLEDGE SHARING GO BOTH WAYS?

GAËL: We have many occasions where we all see each other and discuss watchmaking, but when we see renderings from other senior figures in the industry, it is usually decided and will be manufactured accordingly. I don't know if it's the same for everyone, but for Florian and me, it can be a challenge to reach a consensus with two people, let alone trying to reach an agreement with many others. If you take too much advice from others, you will never be able to realise the project!

YOU OFTEN POST WATCHES YOU ADMIRE FROM OTHER BRANDS ON YOUR INSTAGRAM, GAËL. DOES THIS SENSE OF ADMIRATION COME UP IN WORKSHOP DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN YOU AND FLORIAN?

GAËL: It is a difficult question, because when a new watch is released, we say to each other, "Did you see what was just launched? What did you like or didn't like?" We approach watchmaking this way. And with Florian, we both love auction season in Geneva because we get to see and interact with watches that we usually wouldn't encounter. I love watches and don't care what brand they are from.

FLORIAN: I'm not active on social media because it isn't the most important part of watchmaking for me, but I enjoy going to other workshops. Seeing the watchmaker in person is more important for me than seeing the watch on social media. I have a private account and think keeping up to date with all the new novelties is helpful, but I prefer to meet the watchmaker in person and discuss our passion.

ASIDE FROM BEING AT THE BENCH, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF WORKING WITHIN THE WATCHMAKING INDUSTRY?

GAËL: We love it when clients visit us and have an honest discussion. It's always nice to hear when people wear our watches, and you learn about their lives and what they do. We had an Australian archaeologist visit. He's not a client, but we learnt about how he digs up dinosaur bones. So, of course, it doesn't always have to be only about watchmaking.

FLORIAN: I enjoy interacting with clients directly; it never feels like they are just picking up a watch. You see the look on their face and their reaction; it feels super motivating for us. When we went to IAMWATCH, we met many clients who knew us but had never met us, so that was very encouraging. We both came back to Switzerland super motivated.