Luxury / news
Swiss watch exports up 2.7% to $23.6bn in first nine months of 2026
Swiss watch shipments rose 2.7% to 19.5 billion francs ($23.6 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, as September marked a fifth consecutive month of growth on strong US and European demand.
The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry reported the figures on Tuesday, confirming a sustained recovery in overseas shipments through the third quarter. The United States led the advance, with exports jumping 86% in September alone — a surge that partly reflects a tariff-related slump in the same month a year earlier.
Demand held up at both ends of the price spectrum. Timepieces retailing below 500 francs at export posted the strongest performance, while expensive watches priced above 3,000 francs also recorded higher shipments.
Regional results diverged sharply. Exports to China fell, while Hong Kong and Japan both grew, a pattern Citigroup analyst Thomas Chauvet described as "significant regional divergence." Shipments to the United Arab Emirates dropped 9% amid ongoing geopolitical disruption.
The Chinese pullback fits a wider pattern across global luxury, where a slowing economy and a government crackdown on conspicuous consumption have weighed on sales. LVMH reported this month that mainland China sales fell by double digits in the last quarter.
RBC analyst Nikolaos Lafioniatis said the export report is positive for Swatch Group AG.