U.S. Boosts Swiss Watch Exports in May 2026; China and Germany Slow Growth

Swiss watch exports remained stable in May 2026 and posted a slight increase of 0.4 percent compared with the same month a year earlier.

The total value of Swiss watch exports in May 2026 amounted to 2.1 billion CHF. This helped somewhat offset the cumulative decline for the first five months of the year, which now stands at 3.1 percent.

Mix of Materials: Bimetal Gains Ground, Steel and Precious Metals Lose Ground

In terms of export value, growth in bimetal models (+34%) was not enough to offset the declines in precious-metal watches (-7.2%) and steel watches (-5.4%).

In terms of unit sales, the sharp decline in steel watches (-9.6%) had a particularly negative impact. Even the growth in watches made of “other materials” (+17.3%) was not enough to offset this decline. Overall, the number of watches exported fell by just under 14,000 units compared to May 2025.

Differing Trends Across Price Segments

Contrasting trends were observed across the various price segments. Watches in the high-end price segment rose by 3.7 percent, while export volume for models priced between 500 and 3,000 CHF fell by 17.2 percent.

In contrast, watches with an export price between 200 and 500 CHF saw a significant increase of 23.6 percent.

The U.S. and the U.K. are driving growth

The United States (+12.3%) and the United Kingdom (+24.9%) performed well, aided by a favorable base effect.

France maintained its second-place ranking among the most important sales markets and achieved remarkable growth of 57 percent. This is primarily due to the country’s role as a logistics hub since December 2025.

Hong Kong (+3.4%) confirmed signs of a gradual recovery.

China, Germany, and the Middle East See Declines

China once again proved to be extremely volatile, posting a decline of 21.4 percent. Japan (-3.5%) continued its downward trend. The United Arab Emirates (-13.5%) and Germany (-18%) also suffered significant losses.