An In-Depth Look at the History and Future of Mathey-Tissot

Workshop-crafted calibres, Elvis Presley, a whole host of iconic designs and some sound aesthetics to boot. The brand is Mathey-Tissot.

You’d be hard pressed to find a more remote location than the Swiss Jura valley of La Sagne et des Ponts. Yet, every watchmaking enthusiast should make a point of going off track to explore such lost corners of the earth as this. Sooner or later, you’ll end up on the road connecting the Val de Travers to Le Locle, namely the little village of Ponts-de-Martel.
 

Discovered documents reveal that the E. Mathey-Tissot & Cie workshops, operating under Edmond's eponymous company name, already had orders for calibres from Girard-Perregaux & Cie back in the 20s when it was still referred to in its business description as "Formerly J.F. Bautte & Cie". Other orders included those from the Le Locle-based Zenith and H. Moser & Cie watchmaking manufactures, then also in Le Locle, Ulysse Nardin via its successor Paul D. Nardin, Baume & Cie watch manufacturers & importers (the UK subsidiary that became Baume & Mercier), the Geneva-based Vacheron Constantin, the Bienne-based Edouard Heuer & Cie, subsequently to become TAG Heuer, the Longines factory, aka Francillon & Cie SA, Ch. Tissot & Fils SA (Tissot brand), Movado at La Chaux-de-Fonds and Piaget & Co operating out of La Côte-aux-Fées. Orders were also placed by the Paris-based Jaeger (watchmaker to the French Navy) as well as Breguet, the Schaffhausen-based IWC (International Watch Company), and J.D. LeCoultre in the Vallée de Joux.

These are just the best known, but to them were added a whole host of other names, such as the Union Horlogère with Alpina, so important to historians and the most expert collectors. The documents outlining the company’s purpose tell us a great deal about the times in which these companies lived. Interestingly, later on, in the 1980s, the company would even be producing complete watch assemblies for customers, such as Cartier USA or, between the 60s and 80s, Breguet, Sinn and LeCoutre. Mathey-Tissot thus has more than 130 years of fascinating history behind it and the last of the founder’s descendants retired in 1975.

The brand is famous, coveted and desired by celebrities. The story of Elvis Presley and the unexpected use to which he put a very special series sporting his name prominently placed on the bezel, and limited to just a few dozen pieces, gave Mathey-Tissot an undeniable legitimacy in the field of customised watchmaking, and it even manufactured under licence for third parties. The model accompanied by an original certificate signed by Jimmy Velvet, a close friend of Elvis, is highly sought-after to this day. Anyone wearing it could use it as a permanent all-access pass through all security barriers and obstacles at concerts. It even allowed them to wander around back-stage, visit the artists’ dressing rooms, and even some parts of the stage. It clearly showed they were part of Presley’s inner circle of friends and confidants.
 

Any watchmaking fan can glean a brief overview of the history of Mathey-Tissot by simply following its sales on the Internet, either by setting up alerts on eBay or on other sites covering vintage watch sales. What is remarkable at first glance, is the sheer scope of aesthetic variants and designs bearing its name. And they often sport forms and styles that one might have associated with other, better-known watchmaking brands active in the high-end segment.
 

As any watchmaking history buff will know, notwithstanding marketing departments who prefer to make their own claims and appropriations, trends develop from the moment, whatever the era. Take, for example, the ‘coin’ watch made by several brands, with its ultra-fine mechanical movement fitted inside a coin split in two down the middle. The Mathey-Tissot version is still a hot favourite with collectors, judging by the skyrocketing prices it achieves on the Internet.
 

Furthermore, if you browse the web for this type of discovery, you soon realise that the brand and its historic models boast an unparalleled reputation. Not only do the rising prices point to a growing interest, but also, in terms of image capital, the increase in value enjoyed by certain models provides a firm basis on which the brand can now build its special 'Edmond' series in tribute to the founder, or the rollout of its Type 21 chronograph in 2018.