Tissot, a Swiss watchmaker that has been a subsidiary of the Swatch Group since 1983, is regarded as the Innovators by Tradition. Tissot has expanded to over 150 countries since its founding in 1853 by Charles-Felicien Tissot and Charles-Emile Tissot. In Crêt-Vaillant, Le Locle, the company was founded under the name Charles-Felicien Tissot & Son. Gold pocket watches are one of the company’s first crafts, and Tissot watches are mainly created for export. The company has already attained and marketed its products in the US in its first year.
Tissot’s prominence arrived in Russia five years later when Charles Tissot visited Moscow in 1885. He was only supposed to be in charge of a local branch, however, he later decided to marry a Russian woman and start a family in Russia. Because of this personal connection and relationship with the residents, Russians now make up the majority of Tissot watch clients.
Trendsetters and Innovators
In 1907, Charles Tissot assisted in the construction of the company’s manufacturing plant in Chemin de Tourelles, Le Locle. They worked hard to meet the needs of their customers all over the world. The headquarters are still located there to this day. By 1910, the company had expanded to include women’s watches. These pieces were notable for their use of platinum and gold, and some even included diamonds. Tissot also promised men’s timepieces long before they became fashionable.
Tissot became a manufacturing company in 1917, pursuing the company’s evolution. It created its movements, allowing it to create significant and high-quality watches at a reasonable price. Even though watch styles are fairly common, Tissot stood out due to its technical advancements. As a result, in 1930, the company created the first non-magnetic timepiece.
Larger, Wider, Smarter
In 1930, Tissot and Omega came together to form the SSIH, or Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogère, the first Swiss watchmaking organization. In 1933, Paul Tissot devised the Tissot Plan, which is an action plan for marketing Tissot timepieces. Generally, the Tissot Plan called for directly targeting marketplaces and free distribution of the company’s collections to retailers.
A Century of Enduring Strength
Tissot celebrated its 100th year in the watchmaking market in 1953, but it didn’t even come close to shutting down; instead, it was revolutionized. The manufacturing of movements with and without complications such as a calendar has been streamlined thanks to the Single Calibre concept. As a result, Tissot was able to produce both automatic and manual timepieces.
Many high-ranking executives and officials from around the world have toured Tissot’s headquarters due to the brand’s notoriety. They even had the honor of hosting the prince and princess of Monaco in 1960. After a few years, Tissot began to include young people in their customer base. As a consequence, the brand created brightly colored, chic, and one-of-a-kind masterpieces.
Tissot and The Swatch Group
Even though the watch brand has been around for a long time, it was still impacted by the Quartz Crisis, as were other watch companies. Nicolas Hayek advised Tissot to merge and join a large and well-known watchmaking group at the time to maintain its position in the industry.
Tissot did not finally decide to join SMH until 1998, which later became The Swatch Group. Another bold move the company made was to redefine itself by creating new emblematic watches such as the WoodWatch, RockWatch, and PearlWatch.
Recent Advancements
Tissot continued to experiment with new ideas for its luxury watches. Tissot introduced the T-Collection at the end of the 1990s, which includes new designs with more innovative features. Tissot presented the T-Touch, the first tactile wristwatch, in 1999. Later, the brand redesigned it to be solar-powered, which was another world first, and dubbed it the T-Touch Expert Solar.
Tissot is also involved in the sports world, serving as an Official Timekeeper in a variety of sporting events. Among them are the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the Women’s National Basketball Association, the World Fencing Championships, MotoGP, cycling, and ice hockey.
Location of Production
Tissot’s headquarters have been in Le Locle, Switzerland, since the company’s inception. As a result, Tissot timepieces are entirely made in Switzerland. This implies that the components are locally produced, the movement is Swiss, and the arrangement and verification are also carried out there. Because everything is made in the same country, the overall production cost is lower, allowing the brand to sell its timepieces at a lower price.
Watch Reputation
Tissot has a good reputation in the watchmaking market for being a genuine Swiss brand from the beginning and because of its long history. Its recent merger with the Swatch group has also boosted its advertising and prompted the launch of more cutting-edge designs, giving the brand new identity.
Tissot is a well-known watchmaker with a long track record of making high-quality timepieces. Tissot watches are known for their extraordinary design and craftsmanship, and many watch aficionados recognize Tissot to be an “affordable luxury” brand.
Tissot has also been driving innovation with the designs and functions of their timepieces, ensuring that they stay on-trend or stay one step ahead of it. Some of its advancements, such as the RockWatch and the WoodWatch, may appear odd to some due to their excellent originality, but some find these innovations more enticing.
Having said that, Tissot can be classified as a premium or high-end brand in terms of quality, construction, and design. Tissot watches are frequently paired up against other less expensive Swiss brands, such as Movado and Hamilton. If you’re looking for a watch, you might want to make comparisons between Tissot and Bulova. Although it’s tough to distinguish the wide product categories of each brand from those of another in any of the brand comparisons. Tissot timepieces are generally affordable given their high reliability.
Takeaway
Tissot has been a quality watchmaker for over 150 years and is still well-known around the world. The company has grown, broadened, and improved since its inception. When you incorporate that history with the fact that the brand has been owned by the Swatch Group for 35 years, it’s no surprise that it’s still growing in popularity. If you’re still not confident, Tissot’s partnerships with athletes and celebrities, as well as sponsorships of various sporting events, should be enough to persuade you.
