Tissot is very much a modern watch brand, but
it is also a brand with a rich heritage.
Founded by Charles-Félicien Tissot and
his son Charles-Émile in 1853, it
makes it one of Switzerland’s oldest
watch companies. Today, it is known as a
sporty, accessible, entry-level luxury brand
that appeals to all age groups. Le Locle, a
village in Switzerland’s famed
watchmaking district, is where Tissot’s
original factory was founded and the brand
continues to thrive. In the beginning, Tissot
& Fis specialized in gold pocket watches
and pendant watches, with a large part of its
business being ladies’ watches –
Sarah Bernhard was even a client. Many of
Tissot’s watches at the time were
exported to the U.S., but its biggest market
was Russia. In 1885, Charles Tissot,
Charles-Émile’s son, moved to
Moscow to manage the branch his father had
set up there. It thrived until the October
Revolution in 1917, which forced Tissot to
regroup and focus on making their own
movements in