An independent watchmaker, Mathey-Tissot is not associated with Tissot, another Swiss watchmaking firm.
History
Edmond Mathey-Tissot established his watchmaking business in the village of Les Ponts-de-Martel in 1886.[1][2] He began by specializing in complications, and especially repeater pocket watches,[3] that is, watches which chime the hour or the hour and quarter-hour (quarter-repeater) or the hour, quarter-hour and minute (minute-repeater). The firm soon proceeded to make chronographs and won a number of prizes.[4]
Mathey-Tissot 'Calamatic' gold triple calendar moon phase watch, c. 1947
In 1899, the outbreak of the Second Boer War led to such an expansion in demand for Mathey-Tissot watches that a new factory was built. Among the orders received was one from a nobleman in Scotland, who commissioned 2,500 watches, having decided to present every man in his son's regiment with a repeater watch: in gold for officers, silver for other ranks.[4]
The firm at one time had good relations with China and made watches of Chinese designs for that market which have been described as "complicated and painstaking pieces... in the realm of superior watchmaking".[6]
In 1969 and 1970, Elvis Presley bought several dozen customized Mathey-Tissot automatic watches for giving to family, friends, and staff. The bezel settings of these bear the name ELVIS PRESLEY in raised letters, with four stars, and they identified the wearers as having a privileged right of access to Presley's concerts and tours.[7][8]
Present-day
Like most Swiss watchmakers, Mathey-Tissot no longer produces its own watch movements in house. Instead, the company customizes mechanical and quartz watches with movements sourced from others.[4] Its logo is similar to the "peace symbol" of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, but turned upside-down, with the words Mathey-Tissot in manuscript, above the printed words "since 1886".[9]
