LIP Watches

LIP: The Revolutionary French Watch Brand That Just Won’t Quit

LIP isn’t just a watch brand — it’s a story.
 A story of innovation, rebellion, labor uprisings, and some of the coolest, quirkiest watch designs ever to come out of France.

Founded in the 1800s and still kicking today, LIP is France’s most historically significant watchmaker, known for being early to electric watches, bold with design, and surprisingly important to European industrial history.

These aren’t mass-market throwaways. The right LIP piece — vintage or modern — has real character and collector interest.

Brand History: From French Precision to Political Protest

Founded in 1867 by Emmanuel Lipmann, LIP began as a small workshop in Besançon — the heart of French watchmaking. By the mid-20th century, it was a powerhouse:

  • Developed France’s first electric wristwatch (1952)

  • Partnered with Blancpain and Breitling in the 1950s–60s

  • Supplied watches to Charles de Gaulle, Churchill, and Eisenhower

  • Created some of the wildest space-age designs of the 1970s

Then came the 1973 labor revolt, when factory workers took over the company after mass layoffs — literally occupying the building and continuing to produce watches. It became a national symbol of resistance, worker dignity, and... somehow... still watchmaking.

Today, LIP has been reborn as a smaller, design-driven independent, producing reissues and new models inspired by their most iconic historical pieces.

Collector Highlights: Vintage Fire and Retro Comebacks

  • LIP Electronic – France’s first electric wristwatch. Futuristic in its day, now pure vintage charm.

  • LIP Nautic-Ski – 1967 dive watch, water-resistant to 200m, available in both vintage and faithful modern reissues. Capsule case, EPSA-style compressor feel. Cult favorite.

  • LIP Mach 2000 Series – Designed by industrial design legend Roger Tallon. Offset crown and pusher ball, asymmetrical case, futuristic minimalism decades ahead of its time. Still in production today — still bonkers in the best way.

  • General de Gaulle / Churchill / T18 – Classic rectangular dress watches worn by political leaders. Small, elegant, French as it gets.

  • Chronographs (Valjoux, Landeron) – Mid-century mechanical chronos often powered by Valjoux 7733 or Landeron 248. Sleeper hits with real movement pedigree.

And yes — you’ll find both Swiss and French movements inside vintage LIPs, depending on the era. Many used licensed technology from Switzerland, with cases and assembly done in France.

Why Collectors Should Care

  • One of the most important European watch brands outside of Switzerland

  • Deep design history — especially in the ‘70s

  • Surprisingly good value on vintage chronographs

  • Still independently operated — and still proudly French

  • The brand’s labor revolt is literally taught in history books — and yes, they kept producing watches while occupied

If you like stories, LIP has them. If you like funky designs? Even better.

What They’re Making Now: Retro-Futurism Done Right

The current LIP catalog includes:

  • Faithful reissues of the Nautic-Ski, T18, Mach 2000, and Dauphine models

  • New interpretations of classic French case shapes, in both quartz and mechanical variants

  • Watches priced from under $200 up to around $1,000, depending on movement and build

Many current models use Miyota or quartz movements, but retain the original case profiles and dial typography that made the vintage LIPs so beloved.

Designs are still driven by LIP’s own archives, not outside trend chasing.

Fed’s Take

LIP is one of those brands that collectors overlook — until they learn the backstory, or hold one in person.

I’ve seen vintage LIP chronos that wear like a Sinn crossed with a Heuer. I’ve sold Nautic-Skis to guys who swore they’d never wear a “reissue,” then fell in love with the proportions. And the Mach 2000? Pure wrist art — no other brand would’ve had the guts.

If you’re tired of seeing the same designs from the same brands, LIP offers something fresh… by going back to what made it genuinely different in the first place.

French Watchmaking. Industrial History. Wild Design. One Brand.

Whether you’re into history, design, or just want a vintage chrono that isn’t another 7733 clone with a generic logo, LIP still brings the heat — without the hype tax.

Delray Watch occasionally sources vintage and modern LIP watches — especially Nautic-Skis, Mach 2000s, and Valjoux-powered chronographs.

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