Swiss Watch Exports in March 2026: Slight Decline
Swiss watch exports fell by 1 percent in March 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, to CHF 2.1 billion. In terms of volume, the number of wristwatches exported declined by 0.6 percent to 1.2 million units.
This results in an export volume of CHF 6.2 billion for the first quarter of 2026. That is 1.4 percent more than in the first three months of last year (CHF 6.1 billion). The United States, Japan, and Hong Kong occupy the top three spots in the 2026 ranking of Swiss watch exports; Germany ranks ninth.
It remains to be seen to what extent the war in Iran, which began in late February, will affect the watch industry.
Declines in sales of precious metal and steel watches
Export value in March 2026 was weighed down by a 4% decline in watches made of precious metals and a 9% decline in steel watches. In contrast, unit sales rose, reaching a total of nearly 57,000 additional units compared to the same period last year. This growth was driven primarily by steel watches (+5.8%) and watches made of other metals (+23.8%).
With the exception of watches with an export price between 200 and 500 CHF, which recorded growth of 15.4 percent due to a favorable base effect, all other segments saw a slight decline (an average of −1 percent).
U.S. with a slight decline
The United States set the tone with a decline of 1.6 percent. Since December, the very strong performance in France (+72.4% in March) has not reflected actual market growth, but rather re-exports to other target markets. The United Kingdom (+3.2%), China (+4.2%), and Singapore (+4.9%) recorded growth, while Hong Kong (+0.5%) remained stable.
In contrast, Japan (−12.6%) and Germany (−8.5%) saw significant declines. The conflict in the Middle East has not yet affected watch exports to the United Arab Emirates (+0.7%), while Saudi Arabia recorded a decline of 16.8 percent.
