Thinking of French watchmaking without thinking of the LIP manufacture is like thinking about Paris without the Eiffel Tower.
The history of LIP, a genuinely iconic French brand, started in 1867 when Emmanuel Lipmann established a little watchmaking business in Besançon. The family business, propelled by its creative owners, swiftly authored some of the best chapters in the history of watchmaking technology, creating clocks with intricate and frequently avant-garde designs.
For more than 150 years, thanks to its unique vision of the profession, and unlike most of its competitors, it has made precise, elegant instruments that were usually reserved for wealthy people, accessible to the widest possible audience.
Founded in 1867 in Besançon, the heart of French watchmaking by Ernest Lipmann, the watch company was simply names LIP to avoid the German sounding Lipmann. The brand was off to a flying start and in 1890 it employed already 35 people. Committed to precision, they even set a new precision record in 1936, endorsed by the National observatory of Besançon, and in 1948 they even presented their first manufacture tourbillon based on the famous T18.
In the 50s, now under management of Fred Lip, LIP represented the excellence of French watchmaking, in terms of size, expertise and innovation. At the time, Lip was the most powerful watch manufacturer in France with 1,500 employees and 300,000 watches produced annually. They even provided the French Tibet expedition in 1950 and 1951 with a sturdy timepiece which they quite appropriately named “Himalaya”.
Also, the early 1960’s where good to LIP with trade agreements with Breitling and Blancpain, many rewards for the precision of their movements, observatory prices, and their commercial success is at an all-time high, with production growing to 500,000 units a year. This thanks to famous models like the Nautic Ski, introduced in 1967 and water resistant to 200 meters, as well as the more elegant Dauphine and Souveraine models.
But success did not last. In 1967 LIP was faced by financial troubles and the Swiss Ebauches S.A. steps in as investor. In 1970 Fred Lip was relieved of all his duties. This was the beginning of large social unrest, union problems and more and more financial troubles. Despite all this LIP continued on the forefront of the development of electric and quartz movements, entering the field quite early with its manufacture watches. Knowing that they were entering a different market, LIP did not use quartz movements in their existing models, but had designers like Roger Tallon (who designed the TGV high speed train), Rudi Meyer (Graphic designer who designed the logo of Prenatal, Banque National de Paris and Waterman) and Michelle Boyer (an interior designer who worked for Dior, Renault, and Moët et Chandon) create very progressive designs.
Unfortunately, the problems where too large, and despite several rescue attempts in 1980, the company had shrunk to only 170 employees. Then in 1990, the brand was bought by Jean-Claude Sensemat. He relaunched the brand in a splendid way; he first decided to reissue the historical models of LIP including one worn by General de Gaulle, but also the watch featuring the T18 movement that the French Government has offered to Winston Churchill in 1948. He also decided to re-produce the pocket watch offered to Napoleon Bonaparte. Crafted in 1807 by the grandfather of Ernest Lipmann, the people of Besançon gifted it to the French emperor during his passing through their city. To build on this tradition, he also offered the re-edition of the model worn by General de Gaulle to Bill Clinton to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Allied landings in France.
Reconnecting the brand with the public, LIP watches where now offered as a bonus when signing on for a subscription, starting by the magazine Nouvel Observateur and then followed by almost all of the French press. Sensemat also entered the world of sports, by signing as brand partner Patrice Martin, water skier, and one of the most decorated champions in France. A LIP was also given to Serge Blanco, one of the greatest rugby players in the world who was nicknamed “The Pelé of Rugby”.
To further restore the prestige of the brand, vintage line where revisits with the models that have made the brand famous, such as Himalaya, Mermoz, and of course the watches gifted to De Gaulle and Churchill. These timepieces will be equipped with a mechanical automatic movement provided by the Japanese Miyota.
Also their legendary designs with quartz movements, now manufactured in Villers-le-Lac (Doubs), are back. As the assembly of new LIP watches is performed in Besançon, so they benefit from the label « Made in France » and also feature the hallmark « Certifié LIP Besançon”, which ensures the reliability and accuracy of the watches assembled in their workshops and that will benefit all of the label « Made in France”.
With their new lines the French brand continues to work on resurrecting their old core values: Know-how, quality, tradition, avant-garde, technology and accessibility – And doing so by immortalize more than ever the words of its founder: “Nothing does well without passion”.
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Jonathan Kopp
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