Modern, Retro, Funky French Designer and Vintage Watches from LIP

1807	Emmanuel Lipmann creates a chronometer watch. Napoléon Bonaparte is then presented with it by the citizens of Besançon.
1867	Emmanuel's nephew opens a watch production workshop in Besançon
1896	For the first time the LIP Brand name is used to indicate the "LIP chronometer". A memorable brand is born.
1903	LIP becomes one of the first French businesses to invest in massive advertising campaigns.
1914	LIP, now a rapidly growing business, employs as many as 150 watchmakers and manufactures the first wristwatches ordered by the French Army for its artillery officers.
1939	LIP, true to its patriotic duty, puts itself at the service of the French Army and churns out ammunition and flight watches for French aircraft.
1945	Fred Lip takes over the company helm and rebuilds the factory destroyed during the war. LIP starts a research project to develop an electronic watch.

1948	The French Government presents Winston Churchill with a golden T18 LIP watch.
1950	LIP installs its first automated assembly line for watch movements.
1952	LIP launches the "Electronic" model. The early models are worn by statesmen such as General de Gaulle and the U.S. President D. Eisenhower.
1967	Ebauches S.A. (subsidiary of ASUAG, a large Swiss consortium which later becomes Swatch) takes a 33% stake in LIP.
1971	Always at the cutting edge of the watchmaking industry, LIP unveils the first prototype quartz watches.
1973	Production of the first series of French quartz watches starts at the LIP factory.
1974	A new collection of revolutionary products is created when several designers join the company. Amongst them is Roger Tallon, the designer of the iconic MACH 2000 series.
1971	Always at the cutting edge of the watchmaking industry and notwithstanding the first signs of financial hardship, LIP unveils the first prototypes of quartz watches.
1975	LIP develop a ground breaking range of brightly coloured plastic watches, whose potential will be fully realised in the 1980's by a now famous Swiss watch making company.
1976	Industrial unrest at the LIP factory leads to a new struggle, called "the social conflict of the 1970s" by the daily newspaper Libération.
1980	LIP employees set up a workers' cooperative, but neither purchase orders nor financial resources are sufficient to support their efforts to revive the company.

1990	Jean-Claude SENSEMAT takes over the business and starts a Company called LIP France.
1994	On the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of Europe, Jean-Claude from SENSEMAT presents U.S. President Bill CLINTON with a Commemorative Watch. The watch will be the only gift from Mr. Clinton's official visits that he will ever keep for himself.
1998	Faithful to its image as a forerunner of events and as an innovator, in the run-up to the introduction of the European Single Currency LIP FRANCE launches its "EUROLIP" Watch, which also serves as a currency converter.
1999	LIP launches its MERMOZ Commemorative Watch. In the 30's Lip watches and aeronautical chronographs were widely used by French aviator Jean MERMOZ on his pioneering mail delivery flights through Africa, the Southern Atlantic, Latin America and beyond.
2000	During his visit to Besançon in 1807, Emperor Napoléon 1 was presented with a pocket watch by Emmanuel Lipmann, at that time the President of the Besançon Jewish Congregation. At the dawn of the new Millennium, Lip France issues the Napoléon Fob wristwatch, a direct descendant of Lippmann's first homage, to pay special tribute to the French Emperor.

2001

On the occasion of the New Millennium, Lip creates its Fred Lip Collection, a range of watches - all exclusive and original registered models - designed by a renowned Swiss designer in complete observance of the truest watch making tradition.

2002

Jean-Luc Bernerd, the Chief Executive Officer at LIP France since 1997, is granted a license for the worldwide distribution of LIP Watches through his Company, Manufacture Générale Horlogère (MGH), whereas LIP France adopts the new name of Sensemat Lip France. This Family Company now guarantees, in collaboration with MGH, the development and the creation of the latest LIP models.

Present Day

Lip was, and has again become, a true technical and social laboratory, developing, revising and designing unique design watches that have an unprecedented historical pedigree, yet are still democratically priced. Lip watches are distributed in design stores, department stores and concept stores in France and worldwide.

A chance meeting in Paris in 2007 leads to Encompass Furniture & Accessories Ltd. spreading the Lip legend of French watch-making history and design in the UK. Encompass Furniture & Accessories is proud to give the unique Lip range of time pieces a platform in the UK through vavawatch.com and selected retailers.

LIP takes us right back to the 70's to find inspiration for this collection, reviving fundamental values ...

that made it famous back then; authenticity, innovation and progress.

LIP adopt a fresh and avant garde approach to re-create this unique and highly desirable watch collection. Original works by French design legends, including Roger Tallon and Francois de Baschmakoff, have been revised and enhanced for today's discerning style aficionado.

Minutely detailed research and daring neo-retro design bring this collection to the pinnacle of contemporary design and style.

Roger Tallon was at the forefront of contemporary design in 1970's France and beyond ...

creating iconic designs such as the TGV (France's high speed train), helping to build the corporate identity of SNCF (the French national railway system), and designing the Paris RER Underground map, together with developing numerous industrial and consumer products.

In 1974 LIP decided to commemorate a unique period in time by developing a watch to reflect that moment in design history.

LIP chose a designer widely considered to be the best in his field, and who had never before designed a watch; a man with a new and innovative approach, Roger Tallon.

Roger Tallon applied his design and material knowledge and expertise to LIP, creating the Mach 2000 collection, which went on to become a distinctive design icon of 1970's France and French watch-making.

Historique collection looks even further back into the rich history of LIP ...

Founded in 1867, LIP has a truly prestigious and fascinating history as France's no.1 watch maker.

Historique watches include the Napoleon wristwatch, a revised design of a pocket watch presented to Emperor Napoleon 1 in 1807 by Emanuel Lipman, predecessor to the LIP brand.

The Type 10, a faithful reproduction of a 1930's aeronautical chronograph, used for the first southern Atlantic aerial crossing by French aviation pioneer Jean Mermoz.

The Charles de Gaulle watch has a particularly significant place in French history, elaborated to mark the end of WW11 and subsequently given to Charles de Gaulle, Winston Churchill, Eisenhower and in 1994 to President Bill Clinton to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the D-Day landings.

LIP Historique collection is a powerful statement of style and quality from past eras, who's designs are still highly relevant and sort after today.