Simon Tissot-Dupont was 25 years old in 1872 when he founded a company that will be one of the most admired in the world. A young man was determined to succeed in Paris and he succeeded in the whole world.
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Simon Tissot-Dupont recruited several talented craftsmen and established a prestigious leather goods workshop. He manufactured wallets and "maroquins", the attache-cases of the time, bearing the initials of senior civil servants. He was rapidly successful among Parisian high society. Soon, he became the official supplier to the Magasins du Louvre, which was a reference in the world for luxury accessories at the time.
In the beginning of the roaring '20s, Andre and Lucien Dupont, Simon's sons, started to innovate: they created sumptuous travel cases, produced as one-of-a-kind pieces. In their salons on Rue Dieu in Paris, their loyal customers included the Maharajah of Patiala, who used to make sumptuous gifts to his one hundred or so favorites, Baron Maurice de Rothschild, the Duke of Kent, to name a few. The Duke of Windsor used to advise Lucien Dupont, and Al Capone discreetly dispatched his second-in-command to place an order.
Cartier was also a client, for Paris and New York, as was Aspreys in London, since the Dupont travel cases were truly unique. "Strive for more beauty, for greater luxury", said Lucien Dupont. It was the era of euphoria of the years between the two wars, and the intensely creative Arts Deco period. The last travel case, in lavender blue leather, was made in 1947, as a wedding gift for Princess Elisabeth of England, the future Queen. How much did an S.T.Dupont travel case cost? The employees at the time replied: the price of a house.
The Tissot Dupont brothers were looking for a "master plater" ("plaqueur" in French) expert in pure gold plating but a misprint changed the advertisement to "master lacquerer" ("laqueur"). As it turned out, this proved to be a stroke of good fortune, and S.T.Dupont became the owner of secret that is well kept to this day: Chinese lacquer on metal.
The Dupont company was inovator on many fields. The leather-goods maker applied his gold-smith expertise and in 1941 invented the first pocket petrol lighter. In 1952 the patented, adjustable, gas lighter was a spectacular success. The brand innovated by creating the first luxury jewelry pen. A ballpoint pen in solid silver, with a very refined line, the Classique. It was a ballpoint, because it was new, and they were the "in thing". The launch at Maxim's was a truly Parisian event. Next came watches, a return to fine leather goods and men's accessories: cufflinks, belts, tie bars, etc. In 1996 the writing instrument family was expanded with the Olympio range which today is available in four sizes spanning from mini to XL.
The newest jewel from Dupont is the world's most expensive lighter priced at 79,000 dollars. The Ligne 2 Champagne lighter is a part of Dupont's Prestige Collection, made of 18-carat white gold embellished with 468 brilliant-cut diamonds. Also available is a matching fountain pen in solid 18-carat white gold as well with rhodium finished trims and 502 brilliant-cut diamonds for 74,000 dollars. ■