Major operation to destroy fake Swiss watches

Major operation to destroy fake Swiss watches

Keystone-SDA

The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) destroyed 1.5 tonnes of counterfeit watches in Köniz, near Bern, on Friday, including around 7,500 fake “Swiss” timepieces. Most of the counterfeits originated from China.

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The fake watches were confiscated by Swiss customs between 2019 and 2025 as they entered the country. The operation is one of the largest ever carried out by the FH. As well as having a negative impact on the environment, the FH points out that buying counterfeit products is unethical.

What’s more, such consumption “directly supports criminal organisations”. In addition, around 75% of these customs seizures come from postal consignments, a predominance that reflects the explosion of online commerce in recent years, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Small parcels

The widespread use of small parcels to evade detection, reduce the risk of interception and fragment supply chains is creating new challenges in the fight against fraud, notes the FH in its press release.

For example, China exported 4.17 billion parcels to the European Union (EU) last year, i.e. 12 million packages a day, a number that has quadrupled since 2021, according to figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Gullible young people

The reputation and high market value of Swiss products make them prime targets for counterfeiters. Among the sectors targeted, watches are the most affected, accounting for 87% of all counterfeit goods seized worldwide in 2020-2021 that infringe Swiss intellectual property rights.

Buying copies is illegal, the FH points out. Offenders risk confiscation of the goods and payment of destruction costs. Although they are aware of the risks and negative effects, 15-34 year-olds account for more than 50% of counterfeit buyers, mainly online.

Jobs under threat

“Counterfeit watches threaten innovation and jobs in Switzerland”, warned Yves Bugmann, President of the FH, quoted in the press release. The “poor” quality of these products, as well as their potentially harmful effects on health and the environment, are damaging the image of Swiss brands.

Buyers are directly contributing to this, as well as to the resulting loss of jobs in the sector, the FH points out. It is estimated that nearly 2,500 jobs are lost every year in the Swiss watch and jewellery industry as a result of counterfeiting.

Translated from French by DeepL/ds