The Swiss watch industry is bouncing towards Baselworld with a spring its step after January export figures delighted executives.
Strong sell-through over the holiday period had retailers reaching for their chequebooks in January, with total global exports for the Swiss watch industry rising year-on-year by 12.6% to CHF 1.6 billion.
Asia has roared back to life, with monthly exports to Hong Kong rising by 21.3% while sales to China leapt by over 44% compared to January 2017.
The UK remains the world’s fourth largest export market for Swiss watchmakers, with imports worth CHF 91.6 million in January 2018, an annual rise of 4.6%.
France was the best performer in the eurozone, with imports rising by 19% in January to CHF 74 million.
Luxury watches outperformed less expensive pieces, with the value of global exports of watches priced at CHF 500 to CHF 3000 rising by almost 21%.