The History of Lacoste Watches

René Lacoste was a famous French tennis player and whilst winning the 1926 U.S. Open championship, he wore something that he himself had created a white, short-sleeve shirt made exclusively of a light knitted fabric called ‘jersey petit piqué’ that served to wick away moisture due to heat, the very first version of performance clothing in sports. In 1927 during the Davis Cup, the American press nicknamed Lacoste "the Alligator" because of a bet made about an alligator-skin suitcase. With no cognate in his native tongue, the nickname was changed to le crocodile in French. The nickname stuck due to his tenacious behaviour on the courts, never giving up his prey. Lacoste’s friend, Robert Geore, drew him a crocodile which Lacoste then embroidered on the blazer he wore on the courts.

After retiring from tennis, Lacoste founded La Societe Chemise Lacoste in 1933 with André Gillier, the owner and President of the largest French knitwear manufacturing firm. They began to produce the revolutionary tennis shirt Lacoste had designed and wore on the tennis courts with the crocodile appliqué embroidered on the chest, serving as the first example of a brand name appearing on the outside of an article of clothing. In addition to Lacoste tennis shirts, Lacoste produced shirts for golf and sailing.

In 1951 Lacoste began to expand the colour range of the “petit pequé” cotton shirt from the single white shirt to a myriad of vibrant colours. In addition the company started exporting to Italy and within another year, to the United States. In 1960 the company introduced a collection of shorts to supplement the famous polo short, and in addition, a range of striped polo shirts. By 1964 Lacoste’s worldwide expansion continued in Japan. Further expansion continued with manufacturing and distribution licences in USA, Japan, Brazil and Australia. Lacoste expanded into other accessory lines such as Lacoste Eau de Toilette (in 1968), Lacoste sunglasses (in 1981), Lacoste toiletries (in 1984) and Lacoste watches (in 1993).

The Lacoste brand reached its height of popularity in the US during the 1970s when the tennis shirt became an essential of the preppy wardrobe, the company also began to introduce other products into their line including Lacoste designer watches.