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\n SHOWCASE Visitors look at watches on display at the booth of French luxury-goods conglomerate Cartier during the opening day of the \u2018Watches and Wonders Geneva\u2019 fair in Geneva on April 14, 2026. The Geneva watch fair opened will be seen as a barometer of how the Middle East war is affecting the luxury goods sector. \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t AFP PHOTO\n <\/p>\n
The conflict is \u201can additional challenge for the watchmaking industry,\u201d Yves Bugmann, president of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).<\/p>\n
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By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service<\/a> and Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n The sector already had a lot on its plate, including the United States tariffs blitz, China emerging from a long real estate crisis, the strength of the Swiss franc and the price of gold, he said.<\/p>\n Before the war began, Jon Cox, an industry analyst with Kepler Cheuvreux financial services, was forecasting a rebound in Swiss watch exports in 2026, expecting growth of around 5 percent, he told AFP.<\/p>\n But the uncertainties triggered by the conflict are now likely to leave the Swiss watch industry facing \u201cweak growth\u201d in exports, he said.<\/p>\n Jean-Philippe Bertschy, an analyst at Swiss investment managers Vontobel, was forecasting four-percent growth at the start of the year, but is now leaning \u201cmore toward stagnation.\u201d<\/p>\n Bertschy said he would revise his estimates for 2026 after gauging the mood at Watches and Wonders.<\/p>\n The Middle East accounts for just under 10 percent of the watch market.<\/p>\n That \u201cis not insignificant,\u201d Bertschy told AFP, especially since the region has witnessed \u201cstrong growth in recent years,\u201d with particular enthusiasm for top-end watches.<\/p>\n Attracting younger buyers<\/p>\n With the demise of the Baselworld salon following the Covid-19 pandemic, Watches and Wonders in Geneva has established itself as the chief display event for watchmaking in Switzerland.<\/p>\n Within less than five years, the number of exhibitors has almost doubled, with 2026 welcoming 11 new brands, including Audemars Piguet, a leading name in Swiss watchmaking.<\/p>\n The fair is \u201can important opportunity to interact with other brands, engage with the public and showcase our expertise,\u201d the brand\u2019s managing director Ilaria Resta told AFP.<\/p>\n Inside the Palexpo convention center, brands compete to show off their new products on lavish exhibitions.<\/p>\n Tag Heuer had Formula 1 racing cars, Van Cleef & Arpels featured delicate water lilies and reeds, while IWC went for space exploration.<\/p>\n Once reserved exclusively for industry professionals, the Geneva salon has gradually opened its doors to the public, turning into a platform for showcasing watchmaking expertise.<\/p>\n While the first four days are for the industry only, the weekend and Monday are open to the public, with organizers seeking to seduce a new generation of younger buyers.<\/p>\n Watchmaking is Switzerland\u2019s third-largest export sector, after pharmaceuticals and industry.<\/p>\n The sector suffered a blow during the pandemic, but bounced back quickly afterward, breaking records for three consecutive years, thanks to so-called revenge purchases, with some consumers using the savings made during lockdowns to stock up on luxury watches.<\/p>\n But with a drop in demand in China, followed by US tariffs, the last two years have been tough for the sector.<\/p>\n Swiss watch exports first fell by 2.8 percent in 2024 and then by 1.7 percent in 2025, to 25.6 billion Swiss francs ($32.5 billion).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"GENEVA, Switzerland \u2014 The Geneva watch fair, the watchmaking industry\u2019s biggest annual showcase, opened on Tuesday with 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