Blast From the Past

Jean Marcel Tonneau Mystery

- Martin Green

Jean Marcel might not be a brand that is at the top of the minds of most collectors when we talk about high-end watches, but it has a lot to offer.

Its history started in Germany's city of goldsmiths, Pforzheim. Founded in the 1920s, the Gengenbach company was an established player in town, producing high-quality gold jewellery. As they would also love to make watches, they asked Swiss jewellery designer Jean Marcel if they could use his name, which he granted. Ever since, Jean Marcel has made a name for itself by combining Swiss movements with German-made cases, dials, and hands. Its watches follow the traditions of watch design, yet always with a twist, and in that matter, nothing tops the Tonneau Mystery.