My watch month of July: problem children to dive into and co-operate with

The view of the watch month of July is naturally under the impression of the 39 percent inch hammer, which will be levied on Swiss imports into the USA from August 7.

Watch manufacturers and other Swiss export industries haven't yet given up hope for a last-minute agreement on lower tariffs. Two days before the tariffs come into effect, Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, who has so far had no luck with customs matters, is traveling to the USA – so things remain exciting. This will certainly be the focus of my August watch review.

Back to current events in the summer month of July. It began, among other things, with a statement from Breitling CEO Georges Kern on the state of the Swiss watch industry: "I have been in the industry for thirty years now and have never experienced such a protracted crisis." And back then, no one knew about the dreadful number 39.

Watches are the problem child of the luxury goods industry

And unfortunately, the half-year and quarterly figures published by the major luxury groups in July confirmed that things are no longer looking all rosy even in the top segment, and that even high-budget customers are evidently exercising restraint – to speak of modesty would certainly be an exaggeration. The watch segment, in particular, is proving to be a problem child.

Richemont In the first quarter of the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30, sales of watches fell by 10 percent. LVMH The watch business developed stably in the first six months of 2025 – but other divisions suffered significant losses. Hermes recorded a decline in sales of watches of 8 percent in the first half of the year, the production but still expand. And the watch-specialized Swatch Group reports a 7.1 percent drop in sales for the first half of the year. China continues to be a cause for concern, and now the next problem market, the US, is looming on the horizon. At least for Swiss-made brands...

You wouldn't want to be in the shoes of the chief strategists of watch companies and brands right now. Burying your head in the sand and waiting until the headwinds subside is certainly not a good idea. By the time you emerge, you might have missed the connection to the new reality.

Land of divers

Speaking of diving: Germany is a Land of divers.

This is also possible with the “Profondo” from submarine, Supposedly, it can withstand pressures of up to 1,000 bar, which is what exists at a depth of 10,000 meters. When an industry expert asked on a social media channel how one could test such watertightness in a workshop, I suggested a practical test in the Mariana Trench. The response: "The expert left the group." 😉 It was worth a try. 🙂

To the partnership!

What do you do in uncertain times? Right! You seek out strong partners. The watch industry has always done this, and it's sticking with it even in these turbulent times.

The "Green Hell" is calling! At the beginning of August, the engines of historic racing and sports cars will roar once again at the Nürburgring. The 52nd Oldtimer Grand Prix (OGP) will attract motor enthusiasts to the Eifel region from August 1 to 3, 2025. As Official Timing Partner, Junghans and also has two special timepieces in its luggage: the “1972 Automatic” and the “1972 Chronoscope”.

Tag Heuer is also known for its collaborations with the motorsport world, but also ensures precise timekeeping at lower speeds. For example, as the official timekeeper at this year's TCS New York City Marathon.

Hamilton has ventured into the virtual world and teamed up with visionary video game developer Hideo Kojima, who is responsible for the games "Death Stranding" and "Death Stranding 2: On the Beach." Hence, the matching timepiece is called the "American Classic Boulton Death Stranding 2 Limited Edition" and is ready for adventures in the virtual world as well as in real life.