Book Review: The Forgotten Innovations of 70s Watchmaking by Thomas Brissiaud

by Brent Robillard

The 70s called…

When Thomas Brissiaud launched Tessé Watches and introduced the Michel GMT, he didn’t just design a 1970s-inspired travel watch—he wrote the book on it. Literally.

Brissiaud’s The Forgotten Innovations of 70s Watchmaking began as a digital passion project—a blog series hosted on the Tessé Watches website. But earlier this year, the series was adapted into a beautifully compiled, 70-page volume now available on Amazon. More than just a catalogue of horological milestones, the book reads like a love letter to a decade too often reduced to a few buzzy quartz references and wild case shapes. Brissiaud knows the clichés—but he goes deeper, and that’s what makes this short read worth your time.

The Forgotten Innovations of 70s Watchmaking by Thomas Brissiaud of Tesse Watches — The Forgotten Innovations of 70s Watchmaking @calibre321

A Designer’s Lens on a Defining Decade

The 1970s were chaotic, creative, and transitional—an era that saw the rise of quartz, the death of many storied brands, and the birth of iconic designs that still shape the watch world today. Brissiaud moves deftly through these touchpoints with curiosity and clarity.

From early quartz breakthroughs like the Seiko Astron, Hamilton Electric, and Girard-Perregaux’s Calibre 350, to the experimental flamboyance of the Heuer Monaco, Tissot Navigator Chronograph, and Zenith’s jumbo hexagonal cases, the book covers a surprising amount of ground.

He also explores the decade’s evolving view of the dial as canvas—highlighting the vibrant colour schemes of the El Primero A386, the tapisserie textures of the Royal Oak, and the rich eccentricity of stone dials on Rolex Day-Dates.

There are chapters on integrated bracelets (Royal Oak, Nautilus, Tissot Seastar, Zenith Defy), dual-time functions (Rolex GMT-Master, Seiko World Time, Heuer Manhattan), and even a thoughtful look at the influence of space exploration, with mentions of the Speedmaster Professional, the Seiko 6139, and the Bulova Lunar Pilot.

Brissiaud doesn’t neglect the digital wave either—taking time to appreciate the Pulsar, early Seiko digitals like the M158-5000 and 0614-5000, and the first Casio Casiotron. He tips his hat to material innovation with nods to the Rado Diastar and doesn’t shy away from naming names: Tudor, Seiko, Piaget, and of course, Genta all get their due.

But what sets this book apart isn’t just the research—it’s the design philosophy behind it.

The Personal Touch: From Tessé to Friedrichstrasse

For Brissiaud, the project isn’t just academic—it’s autobiographical. The Michel GMT, his debut release under Tessé, is itself a product of this research. The watch was named after his grandfather, Michel, who began working at Renault at age 14 and later retired to the small French village of Tessé. These are the stories that ground the book in something more than fact; they root it in affection.

Visually, the book is a treat. Brissiaud, who is also a digital designer, created most of the artwork himself. The result is a unique aesthetic that leans toward Art Nouveau—fluid, colourful, and distinctly personal. The layouts are playful without being messy. Captions carry much of the weight, with bite-sized insights, period trivia, and watch highlights broken into digestible, image-led spreads. It never overwhelms, even for a newcomer.

A Designer’s Reference and a Collector’s Companion

If you’re looking for a dense, academic treatment of 1970s horology, this won’t be your reference volume. But if you’re a designer, collector, or enthusiast looking for a fresh and inspired overview—or simply curious about the decade that continues to shape our current wave of reissues and reinterpretations—Brissiaud’s book is an ideal entry point.

Final Thoughts

In the end, The Forgotten Innovations of 70s Watchmaking is less about nostalgia and more about recognition—for the risks, for the creativity, and for the strange, wonderful choices that gave us so much of what we love about watches today.

Brissiaud has not only celebrated the decade that inspired his own creation—he’s helped preserve it. And that’s something we’re happy to get behind.

To download the free ebook, click here. To order the paperback from Amazon, click here.