Born in Savoy in 1847, to a family of millers, Simon Tissot-Dupont was only twenty-five when he founded the dynasty and company that would bear his name. An enterprising and passionate young man, he was determined to succeed in Paris; and recruiting several talented craftsmen, he established what swiftly became a prestigious leather goods workshop. In particular, he manufactured wallets and maroquins, the attaché cases of the time, bearing the initials of senior civil servants. He gained rapid success among Parisian high society, and soon became the official supplier to the Magasins du Louvre, which was the reference to have in the world for luxury accessories at the time.

In the beginning of the roaring ‘20s, André and Lucien Dupont, Simon’s sons, started to innovate, creating sumptuous travel cases, produced as one-of-a-kind pieces. In their salons on Rue Dieu in Paris, the Dupont brothers received the cream of international society. 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; and Prince George, 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. Even Cartier was 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.

In the mid 1930's, 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 a secret that is well kept to this day: Chinese lacquer on metal. The first master lacquerer was an extraordinary character of Russian origin, Novossiltzeff, who had trained in the workshop of Jean Dunand, where the lacquer screens for the transatlantic liner, the Normandie, were made. He brazed the lacquer for five days straight and worked at night protecting himself from the dust in a tent of damp rags. Fortunately, his successors managed to transform these empirical methods into authentic and totally unique expertise.

Given the scarcity of raw materials and customers at the beginning of World War II, André Dupont had the idea of using the lighter that was in the travel case of the Maharajah of Patiala. 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 Ligne 1 model, with a thousand and one variations since its creation is still a best seller. In the 1960's the lighter is a symbol of status and good taste, originating in a seductive gesture, a gift marking the entry into adulthood …owning a "Dupont" was no innocent affair. In the semi-darkness of the discotheques, it was recognizable from the noise it made, the famous metallic "cling", a unique sound, a sign of recognition among the elite and the initiated. The Brand took its place among the great names of the French luxury market and the lighter become its icon.

In 1973, S.T.Dupont broke new ground in creating the first luxury ballpoint pen: the Classique (its 21st century iteration being the Classique Cote c'Azur released in the Spring of 2007), made of solid silver with a very streamlined appearance. Later developed in precious materials including lacquer, gold, palladium and platinum finishes, this pen is still a spectacular success today. Having sold millions, it is a classic, instantly recognizable by its refined and minimal line. Crafted in the metal, these pens are exceptionally sturdy (with an interior structure in brass) and come in a wide range of shapes and colours with an interchangeable ballpoint/pencil system and a roller ball system that can be changed into a felt tip or ballpoint. Ten to twenty pieces, and no less than 150 operations and 200 quality control tests, are required to produce one pen. These same standards hold for the creation of solid gold fountain pens and include the most refined details, such as the sound made when the cap is clicked on to the pen. As for style, the craftsmen who handle precious or rare metals are true artists...Goldsmiths and lacquerers work wonders to produce quality that is visible to the eye and unmistakable to the hand.

Today, Dupont continues creating products of the utmost refinement, elegance, and quality, never failing to break the standards of what makes a Dupont a Dupont. Reaffirming such standards are collections such as Orpheo, D. Link, and, of course, Classique Cote d'Azur, mentioned above, all of which in very different ways deliver the unmistakable Dupont mystique. Taking that legendary panache to the absolute highest level are the world-renowned limited and special editions, such as the series of James Bond collections, and the matchless Versailles, celebrating the best known palace in the world.