Swiss Watch Exports Rise in September

by · WWD
Audemars Piguet Royal OakAudemars Piguet

PARIS – Marking its fourth consecutive month of growth, Swiss watch export sales reached 2.23 billion Swiss francs, or $2.74 billion, up 11.7 percent in the month of September, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry.

During the first nine months of 2026, the business’ export value reached 19.5 billion francs, a 2.7 percent on-year rise.

Bolstering the business last month were steel watches, which posted a 13 percent sales increase, and bimetallic models, with sales up 29.3 percent, the federation said.

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Volume growth was also buoyed by steel watches, with 21.5 percent unit gains, and timepieces made of “other materials,” with a 17.9 percent unit uptick. Together the two categories generate 81 percent of all Swiss timepieces exported.

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Altogether 228,000 additional Swiss watches were exported in September versus August.

Patek Philippe’s limited-edition 5531G-012 watch dedicated to Milan.Courtesy of Patek Philippe

“Watches with an export price exceeding 3,000 francs saw a 9.9 percent gain, making a significant contribution to the overall upturn,” the federation said in a statement Tuesday. But each other price segment also registered growth, with a particularly sharp increase – at 39.5 percent – posted for watches priced at below 500 francs at export.

On a geographic basis, exports to the U.S. were up strongly, at 85.7 percent, while those to Japan grew 12.3 percent and to Hong Kong, 3 percent. The federation noted the exceptional gain in France, where Swiss watch exports surged 128.8 percent, likely reflecting trade flow allocations between markets to the detriment of other European countries. Altogether, in the European Union Swiss watch exports registered an overall gain of 15.5 percent.

Concurrently, the other top-10 markets saw declines in September. Swiss timepiece sales to Mainland China were down 14.2 percent. They dipped by 5.2 percent in the U.K. and by 9 percent in the United Arab Emirates.