Mathey-Tissot, not to be confused with the firm Tissot, was founded in 1886 by Edmond Mathey-Tissot in Les Ponts-de-Martel, Switzerland, and specialized in complicated pocket watches. However, the firm soon began to manufacture high-quality chronograph movements. During the 1914 Kew Observatory competition, Mathey-Tissot entered six observatory chronometers with split seconds timing, which all achieved a “Class A ‘ rating with the note that they were “especially good”. By World War I, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers commissioned Mathey-Tissot to provide them with precision chronographs. Breguet also looked to the firm in the 1950s, when it chose them to produce and assemble the now iconic Breguet Type XX chronographs that were used by the French navy.
The present lot will remind connoisseurs of the famed Rolex Daytona Paul Newman. Not only the case design, but both watches are based on the same Valjoux 72 three-register chronograph movement. Similar to the Daytona, the dial on this Mathey-Tissot was also manufactured by Singer, yielding striking similarities between their dials. Having aged to a gorgeous and consistent shade of brown, this chronograph, with its large 40 mm case, sharp powerful lugs and appealing tropical dial, offers tremendous values for connoisseurs of exotic steel chronograph wristwatches.