876 was a memorable year in America’s history. It represented the centennial anniversary of the Declaration of Independence – the founding document of the United States. This major event coincided with the first official World’s Fair to be held in the country. After long deliberations, the city of Philadelphia was finally chosen for being the original site of the declaration’s ratification as well as for its implication in previous expositions.

The Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, 1876. Bird’s eye view of the Fairmont Park. Tissot Museum

Over six months, nearly 10 million people attended the event for only 50 cents, discovering more than 200 pavilions hosting novelties proposed by participants from 35 countries. It was the opportunity for onlookers to come across newfangled products like typewriters, telephones, dishwashers or to taste ketchup, popcorn, and bananas for the first time. However, The Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition was mainly remembered by the Swiss as the one that shook up the world of watchmaking.

During the show, the growing American watch factories were put in the place of honour, displayed next to the firearms industry. Among them, the Waltham Watch Company presented an impressive booth in the Machinery Hall with automatic machines running live. Meanwhile, in the Main Building, the same Maison displayed the result of this newly created mass-production line in a large showcase: 2200 gold and silver pocket watches achieved in only six days’ time, counting 10 hours of work per day.

The Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, 1876. Inside view of the Main Building. Stereoview (detail). Tissot Museum.

No need to say that these timepieces were proposed at rock-bottom prices, causing the panic of other watchmaking countries. By comparison, in the mid-1870s, a Swiss watchmaker was producing an estimated amount of 40 watches per year. The old hand-made process was defunct, putting one of the main Swiss industries on the edge. This shocking event quickly became a state affair. The entire production had to be rethought to keep up with competition, meaning delegates were immediately sent over by the Swiss Confederation to spy on the situation, later documented in the “American Inquiry Report”.

The same year, a certain “Charles E. Tissot of 46 years old from Switzerland” was registered at the Castle Rock Emigrant Landing Depot of New York. The latter was the co-founder of a family-based watch assembly shop established in Le Locle in 1853, named after him. Being in the United States exactly during the course of the fair, it seems more than likely that the watchmaker was conscientious enough to travel down to Philadelphia to find out, for himself, about the technical revolution that was on everyone’s lips.

To reach Philadelphia, Charles-Emile (1830–1910) probably used the train line that had just been built – leaving from the heart of New York City and running directly through the Exhibition gates. Once in Fairmount Park, he would have been able to admire the work of the 54 Swiss participants as well as the other stands and face the reality of the new American assembly line leading him to reconsider his own company’s strategy. It was not Charles-Emile’s first business trip to America and it would not be his last.

In 1848 already, Charles-Emile Tissot had embarked on a sailing boat to cross the ocean for the first time in his life. How exciting it must have been for a young man aged only 18 to cross the Atlantic, heading alone to the United States!

The city of New York from Brooklyn, second half of the 19th century. Tissot Museum.

He had left Le Locle, nestled in the Swiss mountains – travelling chaotically in a stagecoach for a couple of weeks – before reaching northern France (probably Le Havre), from where he made his way to the port of Liverpool in the United Kingdom.

Stagecoach in the Swiss mountains. Late 19th, early 20th century. Tissot Museum.

The next stage of the journey to New York was difficult, especially for those without sea legs. Freshly published travellers’ guides would recommend various methods to avoid being seasick. And as the passage was relatively long – more than a month in the 1830s, which gradually reduced to around ten days in the following decades – basic English learning manuals were also made available on board to help pass the time.

As a young watchmaker from the canton of Neuchâtel, Charles-Emile was expected to complete his apprenticeship at his uncle’s modest repair shop. At the time, pocket watches were extremely precious and required regular maintenance. A precise list of the tools Charles-Emile took with him is still available in the archives. From the simplest pair of pliers to a whole workbench, he wanted to ensure he could provide the best Swiss service standards once in the United States.

Hailing from the country, he was undoubtedly very impressed by the vast city he discovered upon his arrival, spending long hours wandering the busy streets.

Broadway, New York city, second half of the 19th century, by the French artist Félix Thorigny (1824-1870). Tissot Museum

At the time, New York was the largest port of the country, accommodating huge flows of migrants. These numbers became even higher during the Great Famine caused by a potato infection – between 1845 and 1852 – leading millions of Europeans to flee their home countries and try their luck in the New World.

Throughout his first visit, Charles-Emile also experienced one of the most startling chapters in United States history: the Gold Rush.

Illustration from The Gold Coast Collection launched by Tissot in 1995. Tissot Museum.

The same year he arrived, nuggets were discovered along the West coast, on the land of another Swiss citizen: Johann August Suter or ‘John Sutter’ (1803–1880). The news of this find spread like wildfire and ignited a gold fever. Not only did this incident rouse people’s spirits – thinking they would find wealth lying on the ground – it also generated mass migration towards California and a major commerce outbreak.

Despite having been caught in the turmoil of this episode, the Tissot family had never been tempted by ‘El Dorado’. The uncle and his nephew remained quietly working on the other side of the country, observing nonetheless – with eyes wide open – the social consequences of this event and starting to envisage the potential growth of such a surprising marketplace. The supply of gold – as well as other essential materials needed for the art of watchmaking – has always been an important concern and this precise aspect has frequently resurfaced in the family history.

Five years later and back in Switzerland, Charles-Emile had embarked on a new adventure. He had founded an assembly shop (or ‘comptoir’ in French) along with his father Charles-Félicien (1804–1873), in their hometown of Le Locle. In 1853, the Maison ‘Charles F. Tissot & Fils’ was born, operating out of the first floors of the family house, rue du Crêt-Vaillant. The workshop started by creating the finest pocket watches for men, as well as fashionable pendant watches for women.

Tissot assembly shop first book, 1853. Tissot Museum.

At the time, every piece was unique, entirely hand-made, and consisted of the most delicate assembly of components – all provided by specialised artisans. In the 19^th century, the whole Jura region lived on this savoir-faire. The process was time-consuming, following strict Swiss watchmaking tradition, but the result was breathtaking. The watches produced were both accurate and elegant.

From the beginning of their project, the Tissots had a clear vision of the goal they wanted to achieve. And to succeed, Le Locle and Switzerland were not enough, they needed to seek out new clients around the world – and as such, they would start with the United States! On the strength of his experience, Charles-Emile himself would travel back to New York, his trunks filled, not with tools this time, but with the best examples of the Maison’s creations.

Tissot pendant watch made for the American market, 1858. Signed Ch. F. Tissot & Son, Locle. Tissot Museum.

In the 1850s, America represented a promising and expanding market. The beginnings of industrialisation transformed the country in depth. Cash began to change hands, generating a new purchasing power and the development of streets filled with shops and commercial buildings. Swiss watches benefited from a good reputation and had suffered no serious local competitors yet. In Tissot’s accounting books, first retailers based in New York, but also in Detroit (Michigan), as well as in Savannah (Georgia), are mentioned.

One can learn a lot about the nature of the business by perusing these precious records: the types of watches favoured by foreign customers (mainly silver and gold savonnettes – plain or engraved, sometimes decorated with gemstones, pearls and enamel), as well as their shipping information (the port and date of departure, plus the name of the steamer it embarked upon) – essential in case of loss.

Tissot pendant watch made for the American market, 1865. Signed Ch. F. Tissot & Son, Locle. Tissot Museum.

Crates, filled with the most sophisticated mechanics, used the same means of transportation as passengers. And in their peregrinations around the world, it seems the Tissots were fortunate enough to have never experienced any serious incident. For the whole decade, the Swiss watch trade flourished in the United States. However, the resounding success of this industry attracted the attention of American investors who gradually started to build up their own brands.

“Mercator” map of the world, London, c. 1850. Tissot Museum.

In 1861, the American dream began to fade for Swiss watchmakers. The situation drastically changed when the first shots of the Civil War were fired. The conflict occurred between the Southern States (or ‘Confederacy’) that wanted to secede – mainly over the question of slavery’s expansion that was considered crucial for the economic growth of agriculturally based regions – and the increasingly industrial North (or ‘Union’) which strongly opposed this and would ultimately win the fight. For four long years, the country was torn apart and left completely devastated.

During this difficult period, watches were still needed on both sides and business continued. Local companies, like the American Waltham Watch Co (founded in 1850 under another name), took advantage of the situation to reorganize their production process and proposed new concepts like that of a ‘soldier’s watch’. The Waltham had progressively started offering resistant pieces with calibrated components at a moderate price which conveniently replaced refined mechanics of foreign origin, while launching a new era for the domestic production.

From their own experience, the Tissots had learned that business could never stop – even during the most troubled hours. The family had already been through a lot when their hometown of Le Locle, located in the region of Neuchâtel, underwent a radical shift from a Prussian principality to a Swiss canton.

Ancient engraving of Le Locle by local painter Abraham Girardet (1764-1823), c. 1804. Tissot Museum.

It took a revolution (1848) and another few decades to shake off the past and move forward. Hence, even during the American crisis, the Tissots persisted in sending watches overseas. Moreover, a note found in the company’s books for a subscription to Harper’s Weekly magazine (first launched in 1857 and known to have contained notable coverage of the Civil War) reveals that Charles-Emile and his father were very concerned with keeping up with the situation and had no problem reading in English. Later – and always for business purposes – they also studied the Courrier des États-Unis (a French-language newspaper published by emigrants settled in New York City from 1828 onwards).

According to the Maison’s statistics, and throughout the conflict, an average 915 watches were sold per year in the US, from a total production run of just over 1,200 pieces. Among these, richly decorated creations were found.

Tissot pendant watch made for the American market, 1860. Signed Ch. F. Tissot & Son, Locle. Tissot Museum.

Some of them featured guilloché patterns, were engraved, enhanced or painted with enamel, and set with diamonds, pearls, garnets or opals. Once finished, the watches were placed in luxury caskets made of mahogany or rosewood, lined with silk and velvet.

Tissot savonnette placed in its original casket, made for the American market, 1873. Watch signed Ch. F. Tissot & Son, Locle. Tissot Museum.

Every month, complete batches carefully packed into crates departed from the hills of Le Locle to be sent to John E. Hydes & Sons in New York. The agent kept a certain quantity of watches on consignment for himself, while dispatching the rest to his network. While the business remained highly profitable, the instability of the US market due to the war, as well as the rise of local competitors, encouraged Tissot to look further afield. Therefore, Charles-Emile continued to search for new prospects, and the Maison also began to hire ‘voyageurs’ (travelling agents) to increase its salesforce around the world.

In 1866, just a few months after the end of the conflict, Charles-Emile headed back to America. Once again, he landed in New York, with the intention of meeting up with old acquaintances and possible new retailers, bringing a selection of 450 watches with him!

Tissot savonnette made for the American market, 1870. Signed Tissot & Co, Locle. Tissot Museum.

The country he had known before had changed significantly and was struggling to recover from the war. Society was deeply fractured and facing the challenges of reconstruction and reunification. On their side, the Tissots were working hard, dedicated to their company and the many people depending on their business, back home. Father and son were not ready to give up on North America, although progressively, and in reaction to the weight of the Swiss market share, higher tariffs and imports restrictions were established.

At one point, the sales’ records indicate custom duty of up to 25% for imported watches. In comparison, freight from Switzerland to the United States – mainly by road (trains were still scarce) and by boat – had just a 2% impact on the final price! To achieve its monumental post-war task, the American government had no choice but to raise new taxes and shield its domestic industries from foreign competition. Despite huge efforts to improve its situation in the US, it took many years for Tissot to restore normal profits. Moreover, the unexpected turn of the local watchmaking industry revealed in 1876 would not help.

Charles-Emile Tissot had always been a man of ideas. Heavily involved in Swiss politics, he also cofounded Le Locle’s first watchmaking school in 1868. The watchmaking company he had helped create had great potential, therefore he began to consider how to embrace a new production process involving more standardisation and automation immediately after the Centennial show.

The ancient watchmaking school of Le Locle, or “Technicum”. Tissot Museum.

Major transformation had to be decided upon to stay on course. And new solutions were soon found, based on the division of tasks, the interchangeability of components, and the search for more suitable materials. The encounter with Philadelphia World Fair’s revolutionary technology was the first step on the path to making Tissot watches accessible to all. The Maison also learned from its mistakes and, from that point onwards, would always keep a close eye on the innovations of its competitors.