The Tissot tradition, a heritage brand with moderne appeal

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 instead. A few years later, the brand streamlined its production even more by merging with Omega under the title SSIH: Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogère.

Tissot was an early adopter of the concept of watch wardrobing, and in the 1930s adopted the advertising slogan: “A young woman and three watches.” From sporty models with leather straps to classic bracelet styles, Tissot had every occasion covered, encouraging women to own more than one watch. In the 1950s and ‘60s, Tissot created some of the pieces that are now iconic to the brand, including the sporty Navigator, which was soon followed by the Astrolon quartz watch.

Then come the 1970s, when Tissot had begun its extensive involvement in the world of sports, partnering with teams such as Ensign Renault and Lotus, and international racers including Jacky Ickx, Clay Regazzoni, and Mario Andretti. Still closely associated with the world of sports, Tissot is the Official Timekeeper of the NBA, FIBA, CBA, Tour de France, UCI World Cycling Championships, MotoGP, FIM World Superbike Championship, RBS 6 Nations Championship, TOP14 (the European Rugby Champions and Challenge Cups), AFL, and World Championships of fencing and ice hockey.

In 1983, Tissot joined SMH, now known as the Swatch Group. Throughout this decade, Tissot became known for its innovative RockWatch, the first watch made of natural stone, followed by the WoodWatch and the PearlWatch. Tissot then introduced the now-iconic T-Collection in the 1990s, including the T-Touch, the first watch with a touchscreen. In 2014, the T-Touch was enhanced with the T-Touch Expert Solar, powered by solar energy. This iconic brand has certainly lived up to its slogan: “Innovators by Tradition.”

Every year, Tissot sells more than four-million watches in 160 countries. The plus sign in the logo represents more than just the Swiss flag, but also the promise of Swiss quality and reliability. Tissot watches are authentic, accessible, meticulously designed, and created with an eye to quality and functionality.