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The history of Tissot

Chs Tissot & Fils was founded in 1853 in Le Locle, in the Jura region of Switzerland, by the father-son duo Charles-Félicien Tissot and Charles-Émile Tissot, who were born and raised there. Like most Swiss watchmakers founded at the time, Tissot began as a comptoir, an assembler of parts sourced from individual makers in the region. In that first year, the company supplied between 1,100 and 1,200 watches to the region around Le Locle.

In 1858 the younger Tissot, Charles-Émile, left for Russia and with the Tsar's blessing sold Tissot brand pocket watches throughout the empire. Between 1860 and 1875, in addition to finished watches, Tissot produced spare parts and watch tools, among other small items.

It is also noteworthy that throughout the period of the late 1800s, Tissot received numerous honors and awards at various industrial exhibitions. Among the prizes won were the Diploma of Honour in Zurich in 1888, the Grand Prix and Gold Metal in Antwerp in 1890, the Grand Prix in Paris in 1900, and the First Prize for Chronometers and for Marine Chronometers in the Concours de l'Observatoire de Neuchâtel in 1907.

Charles-Émile's son Charles was settled in Russia in the late 1880s. His son Paul was born in 1890, and daughter Marie in 1897. Paul and Marie would both go on to play important roles in the management of Tissot, with Paul joining his father in handling the general affairs and Marie in the day-to-day running of the company.

In 1918, Tissot reorganized its workshops and changed from a factory to a manufacturing company. The company made timepieces in its own factory and began mass producing them.

Times change, names change

As ownership of the company changed and passed from father to son (and behind the scenes, daughter), so did the name. In 1865, the company became Charles-Emile Tissot & Fils. In 1917, the name changed again, to Chs. Tissot & Fils - SA.

In 1930 and the new partnership with Omega, Tissot went under the banner of SSIH, and in 1976 the name Tissot Marché Suisse SA appeared. Finally, in 1982, Tissot did business under the formal name Tissot SA.