Tessé Watches
Thomas founded Tessé Watches in 2024 with a purpose that most brands would consider too personal to put at the centre of a commercial proposition: a tribute to his grandfather Michel. The Michel — the name that now anchors the brand’s debut collection — was never going to be a safe, market-tested reference. It was a grandson’s attempt to give permanence to something that mattered, built to Swiss manufacture standards and sold directly to people who understand why that combination is unusual. Tessé operates from Canada but builds in Switzerland, and the gap between those two facts is where its particular character lives.
The Proposition
The project began with a single watch — a vintage-inspired timepiece designed as a personal act rather than a market opportunity. Thomas scrutinised Swiss manufacturing partners closely before committing, understanding that the Tessé proposition only holds if the execution matches the sincerity of the intent.
Swiss Made
2,105 CAD · Architect
3+ Active Lines
Origin
The project began with a single watch — a vintage-inspired timepiece designed as a personal act rather than a market opportunity. Thomas scrutinised Swiss manufacturing partners closely before committing, understanding that the Tessé proposition only holds if the execution matches the sincerity of the intent. What he built is a direct-to-consumer brand that controls expenses which do not add value to the customer: no retail space, no intermediary margin, no marketing infrastructure that inflates price without improving the watch. The result is Swiss Made quality at a price that the traditional distribution model cannot reach.
Design Philosophy
Tessé’s design vocabulary is architectural and graphic. The Architect series treats the dial as a compositional plane — Studio Pink, Pistachio Vault, Neon Blueprint, Obsidian Core, Solar Façade — colourways that function as moods rather than references. The new Monochrome line reduces the palette further, pushing graphic precision over spectral range. The Michel GMT extends the family into dual-timezone territory for the practically-minded, without abandoning the visual clarity that defines the series. An ebook on forgotten 1970s watchmaking innovations runs alongside the product range, suggesting a brand that treats knowledge and culture as part of the proposition, not afterthoughts.
The Collection
Three active families — Architect, Monochrome, and Michel GMT — built around the original Michel reference. The Architect series spans seven colourways in the current range, each Swiss Made and priced at approximately CAD 2,105. The Monochrome introduces Blue Vector and Black Shadow as reduced-palette arrivals within the Architect visual system. The Michel GMT adds a second time zone complication for travellers. A Nearly New archive offers previous-run and prototype pieces for buyers who arrive after a colourway closes. All watches ship DDP to the United States, removing customs friction for the brand’s largest international market.