Mens Watches

A relative newcomer to the industry, this line of mens watches has only been in production since 1996. However, the expertise behind the brand is far more mature than that. Its founders were integral to the success of Raymond Weil’s line as far back as 1975. Mother and son, Simone and Christian Bedat, left Weil’s auspices to found their own joint venture. Their combined experience in the industry and Christian’s passion for design gave the pair an excellent foundation for the fledgling brand. The result of their collaboration is a wristwatch of outstanding beauty and superior quality typical of the Swiss industry.

What We Love About Bedat & Co.

Bedat & Co. watches are particularly beautiful accessories. They are modern and yet they retain the essence of an Art Deco influence in their shapes. Christian organized the line into four basic shapes and numbered each one. Every timepiece made by this company bears the number of its case shape in its title. There is the No. 1, with sides that curve inward and its opposite, the No. 8, with sides bowing out. The No. 7 is a long rectangle and the No. 3 is circular. This system makes it easy to discern which model is which, even without a photograph. They are available in quartz movements as well as automatic, giving the buyer a welcome choice.

Simone’s long career taught her to use only the best materials and she brought this ideal to her namesake company. Their number 8 makers’ mark will not go on a model that does not bear best hand-sewn leather band or the highest quality movement. They ensure the quality of their products with a strict certification called the Appellation d’Origine Suisse Certifiee (A.O.S.C.) or Swiss Certified Label of Origin. This certification is not given without the product meeting very stringent criteria regarding the methods and location of production, development, design and ethics.

Click Here to See All Bedat & Co. Watch Models

Some Things We Don’t Like About Bedat & Co.

This is a fairly new brand and has yet to establish the multigenerational pedigree that many of the established Swiss brands have. A decade’s worth of reputation, even if it is an excellent one, means little next to one that has lasted for a century or even longer. We have yet to see how Bedat & Co. will fare over a much longer period of time. The aesthetic of this company’s designs seem based on the Art Deco movement’s shapes. If a buyer is not a fan of this very stylized school of design, he will find little to love about this brand even though the construction is superb.

Company History

Simone and Christian Bedat formed their company in the fall of 1996 after both had left Raymond Weil. Simone had cofounded that company as well, along with its namesake. Her career began when she was an apprentice at a watch-case manufacturer at the age of just fifteen and a half. She and Mr. Weil met at this company and left to found their own after the owner’s death. In 1995 she sold her interest in the company to Mr. Weil and left the company along with her son, Christian, who also worked there in several capacities including design. Christian was the original creative force behind the designs of Bedat & Co. He and his mother both left their company in 2006, leaving behind a heritage of excellence for the new team to build upon.