Le 29 April 2022

LIP: watchmaking innovation for over 150 years

For over 150 years, LIP has represented French craftsmanship in watches internationally. Their main strengths are based on constant technical innovations with the goal of remaining a pioneer in their field.

Table of Contents:

A historical overview
An increasingly innovative brand
The end of an era
LIP and our everyday heroes

The history of LIP

It was in Besançon, in eastern France, that in 1867 the "Comptoir Lipmann" Emmanuel Lipmann's first watchmaking workshop was born. Passionate about the art of watchmaking from a young age, Emmanuel was also a hard worker with his own vision of watchmaking aesthetics. He would have three children, all involved closely or distantly in the family business. One of his daughters would take charge of a second workshop, the other would be more involved on the administrative side, while his son would work on the technical aspect of production.

It didn't take long for the family business to make a name for itself in the watchmaking industry by being recognized for the quality of their products and their innovative aesthetics.

An increasingly innovative brand

It was at the beginning of the 20th century that Ernest Lipmann, the founder's son, wondered how to offer watches readable in darkness and even in the dark. It was in 1904 that he had the idea to collaborate with a couple of French physicist researchers, who had just discovered radium a few years earlier. This couple, freshly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, was none other than Pierre and Marie Curie, creators of the world's first phosphorescent dials.

Since 1896, the company has used the name LIP, notably with the launch of the "LIP Chronometer," but it would take until 1908 for the LIP brand to be used as such.

Strong in innovation, LIP launched a communication campaign (billboards in the streets, newspapers, magazines) to develop its brand image as well as its reputation. In addition, the brand chose to orient itself towards a new distribution strategy: selected and exclusive dealers with prices controlled and imposed by the brand. But that's not all, because the brand decided to offer a warranty for all its products, valid on French territory. A revolution in the industry, which attested to the brand's quality.

Over the years, the company's leaders changed, but still remained within the family. In 1950, several French explorers set out to conquer the Himalayas, like Maurice Herzog, and decided to equip themselves with LIP watches for this absolutely incredible ascent at the time. The models used were actually called "Himalaya," and were equipped with calibers specially designed to withstand extreme cold. The fact that these explorers trusted LIP products attested to the solidity, robustness, precision and quality of the French brand's timepieces.

In 1952, Lip proved once again that it was among the pioneers in the field by offering the first electronic watch. This innovation made such a stir in the industry that it would be offered to Eisenhower (President of the United States) as well as to General De Gaulle in 1958.

Then came the "Nautic-Ski" (first diving watch waterproof to 200 m) equipped with a rotating bezel under the glass to protect divers from accidents of inattention during their underwater explorations, a new global innovation originating from the brand. It was adopted by the biggest names in navigation, including the famous Eric Tabarly.

The end of an era for LIP

It was in the early 1970s that things got complicated for the French brand, particularly with the arrival of quartz movements from competitors. It was in 1973 that LIP would present its first quartz watches "Made in France," already too late to turn things around, after shareholders had sidelined Fred Lipmann (Emmanuel's grandson). Shortly after, the company would be forced to file for bankruptcy.

It would take until 1990 for the brand to find a buyer, Jean-Claude Sensemat, an industrialist from Gers, who decided to completely change the marketing strategy of the brand by offering budget-priced watches. The image took a hit, but in terms of sales, it was a success, and LIP sold about one million watches per year, thanks to mass distribution and mail-order sales.

Today, LIP offers nearly 300 watch models, with a majority powered by quartz movements and about sixty with mechanical movements. Some have digital displays, others analog, some models accessible to all, others reserved for the most passionate with modern styles and others much more inspired by vintage.

LIP and our everyday heroes

After models designed for General de Gaulle or for American presidents, the French brand decided to offer watches intended for law enforcement. Already innovative with the design of the "Nautic-Ski," this would be adapted for GIGN members: The "grande Nautic Ski GIGN" watch. The French watchmaker directly pays tribute to the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group with 1973 available and numbered pieces (referring to the year the GIGN was created).

Furthermore, the brand also dedicates a model to firefighters to salute their courage. It's from the motto of these everyday heroes "Courage and Devotion" that this model takes its name: The Courage Tricolore watch. It has a double particularity, it displays a red cardiac scale on the right side of the dial (in the spirit of the pulsometers of the era) as well as a blue respiratory scale on the left. Its exclusive chronograph movement animates a double hand: a red part for measuring heart rate and a blue part for measuring respiration.

Soon, a new model will be available on vetsecurite: The "Grande Nautic Ski Fantôme" watch. This model will be intended to equip the Special Forces of the Army, designed in partnership with the Land Special Forces Command (COM FST). The parts of this watch have been sandblasted and blackened to not reflect light, the glass has also undergone a special anti-reflective treatment to make the model virtually invisible. All of these aspects have been applied to remain "FFOMECBLOT" (Background, Form, Shadow, Movement, Glare, Color, Noise, Light, Odor, Traces) acronym defining the rules of military camouflage. Finally, the insignia of these elite troops has been printed on the dial using a special ink that makes it appear and disappear depending on the light.

This series will be limited to 2500 pieces with 1500 being reserved for the Special Forces of the Army, if you wish to get one stay alert, it's coming during summer 2022.

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