Petermann Bédat Reference 2914 Strips the 2941 Down to a Monopusher Chronograph

You know we're talking serious watches when the new Petermann Bédat Reference 2914 is considered the affordable chronograph, at CHF 180,000 excluding taxes. Well, that's because the big boy, the 240k Reference 2941 is a wonderful split-seconds chronograph that went only to a select few collectors. The 2914 is, obviously, not a cheap watch, but it is just as stunning as the 2941. If not more, now that it's been given a more compact case.

The case is made out of 950 platinum, 36.5mm wide and 11.6mm thick, with a lug-to-lug of 45.8mm. The 2941 measured 38.6mm and 13mm, so this is a real step down in size. The lugs are soldered on, the bezel is polished and concave, and the box-shaped sapphire crystal has anti-reflective treatment. The caseback is now a snap-on sapphire. You also get 30 meters of water resistance, but if you need more, I really want to meet you, the person that will get a CHF 200.000 chronograph wet.

The dial is sapphire, made with the dial maker Comblémine, with laser engraving across the center that leaves a semi-opaque finish over the German silver plates underneath. The layout is sector-style, with applied gold numerals at 12 and 6 and smaller markers around the edge. Black rings frame the dial and the subdials, which keeps everything easy to read. The hands are gold and steel, finished by hand, with black-polished bevels. It is a very good dial.

Inside is calibre 234, an in-house, hand-wound, column-wheel monopusher with a horizontal clutch and jumping minutes. It descends from the 2941’s calibre 202, minus the split-seconds work, with a modified reset and column-wheel hook and a redesigned going train of hand-bevelled solid gold wheels. It has 339 parts, 21 jewels, a 30mm diameter and a Breguet overcoil balance beating at 18,000 vibrations per hour, with a 56-hour power reserve. The finishing through the caseback is what you expect from them: broad Geneva stripes, arrow-tailed steel parts, oversized jewels. The strap is alligator on 18mm lugs with a platinum pin buckle. A 10-row metal bracelet is in development.

It is limited to 20 watches in platinum at CHF 180,000 excluding taxes, with other materials promised later. Getting an allocation will be harder than paying for it. See more on the Petermann Bédat website.