THE CHRONICLE
A History and Guide to Tissot
Windup Watch Shop - January 11, 2026
In this History and Guide, we break down Tissot’s nearly two centuries of watchmaking—from its founding in Le Locle to its role within the modern Swatch Group. Along the way, we explore the brand’s manufacturing evolution, important partnerships, and the watches and technologies that continue to define Tissot today.
Charles-Félicien Tissot noticed his son Charles-Émile’s interest in watchmaking early on. In 1853, the pair founded their own watchmaking business with the family home in Le Locle serving as their factory. The elder Charles acted as casemaker while the younger performed watchmaking duties. The duo produced over 1,000 watches in that first year, setting in motion a story still being written today.
Charles-Émile traveled to Russia in 1858, where he began selling Tissot-branded pocket watches across the empire. This business proved prosperous, so much so that his son — also named Charles Tissot — would move there to manage the Russian market in 1885. Throughout the period, however, Tissot was primarily assembling watches from components produced locally in Switzerland.
This method of watch manufacturing formed the traditional base of most Swiss marques — completed watches were assembled with parts produced in small cottage industries across the country’s cantons rather than vertically-integrated maisons. This changed in 1918. Tissot reorganized its facilities and began producing its own movements, allowing it to produce its own calibers for its watches.
The brand appeared to be on an upward trajectory, then everything came crashing down. The 1929 financial collapse — you know, the financial collapse — threw the industry, and indeed the world, into dire straits. Tissot teamed up with Omega thanks to Paul Tissot-Daguette, who had trained at Tissot before taking over as Omega’s CEO in 1930. This partnership resulted in the foundation of the Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère (SSIH). Movement manufacturer Lemania joined the group in 1932.
Tissot continued to develop technology during this period, launching an innovative dual-time pocket watch and an early antimagnetic watch by 1930. The partnership with Omega proved to be the brand’s financial saving grace, providing a firm foundation through the turbulent 30s and through the Second World War as Omega sat positioned as the upmarket brand, and Tissot focusing on middle-market buyers.
The brand experienced a boom in the postwar years, finding a strong market for its emerging sports watches — like the PR-516 worn by Roger Moore in 1973’s Live and Let Die — as well as chronographs and traditional time-only designs. The brand also began to experiment with emerging materials, creating the world’s first all-plastic watch, movement included: the Astrolon.
The timing was poor. The Swiss watch industry was rocked by the advent of the quartz wristwatch by Seiko in 1969, and began to feel the effects heavily. SSIH proved to be in poor economic shape and was forced to merge into a new holding company with Allgemeine Gesellschaft der Schweizerischen Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG), another major watch group, in 1983. The new company was called the Société de Microélectronique et d’Horologerie (SMH), but it’s better known today under the name: SWATCH Group.
Tissot continued its innovative materials watches during this period, launching the RockWatch in 1985 (which saw a re-interpretation for its 40th anniversary in 2025); the pearl watch in 1987 featuring a mother-of-pearl case and dial; and the wood watch in 1998 with its all-wood case and dial. Its most striking technological achievement came in 1999, however, with the innovative T-Touch system.
Long before smartwatches from Apple or Samsung reached the market, Tissot offered a touch-screen “smart watch” in the form of its T-Touch line. A user could access features like a chronograph, altimeter, and compass all by touching the watch’s sapphire crystal. The brand has continued to expand on the technology, offering new variants powered by light and offering mobile device connectivity. T-Touch emphasized the brand’s focus on innovative sports watches, guiding it into the new millennium as it approached its sesquicentennial.
Tissot has been embraced by the enthusiast community in recent years, thanks to the brand’s focus on well-designed watches at an affordable price point. For many, the brand offers an inviting door into the world of Swiss watches. It still fulfills a similar role as it did back when it was under SSIH: middle-market buyers looking for a well-priced, reliable timepiece. Watches like the Heritage 1938 and Gentleman offer stylish designs that are everyday ready.
Modern Tissot is defined by one model in particular, however: the PRX. A reissue of a 1978 design, it shook the industry upon its release in 2021. The PRX effectively democratized the popular integrated-bracelet sports watch model, offering enthusiasts the world over the chance to own a watch in that 1970s form factor without the price tag of other popular models. The PRX family has grown to include multiple sizes, finish options from steel to PVD gold to titanium, and dials ranging from mother-of-pearl to damascus steel.
Now over 175 years old, Tissot has shown its commitment to providing well-optioned Swiss watches for the masses.Whether it is your first nice watch or fifth, Tissot offers something sure to fit the mold. To see more of our favorite Tissot watches, head over to the brand page on the Windup Watch Shop. As always, the Windup Watch Team is available via consultation to answer any questions you have. In addition, many of the products shown are eligible for free domestic shipping across the US.
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