A stuttering start to the year for exports of Swiss watches has put brands on alert, stoking fears that a slowing Chinese economy and political instability in Europe may choke sales growth in the coming months.
While the first half of 2018 saw strong growth in Swiss watch exports — up 10.6 per cent on the previous year, according to industry data — this slowed dramatically in the second half. By January 2019, exports by value were up just 0.2 per cent year on year.
This has sparked concern that a cooling-off in China, a disruptive Brexit, protests in France and political tensions in Italy and Spain could weigh on consumer demand for luxury goods.