March brought to a close another very good first quarter for Swiss watch exports. Their monthly value stood at 1.6 billion francs, 15.2% more than in March 2011. The smoothed variation over twelve months thus remained essentially unchanged. The first quarter recorded exports valued at 4.6 billion francs, an increase of 17.0%.

The very first fine watch you buy is the one you will keep for a lifetime. Which is precisely where Baume & Mercier aims to position itself, as a brand with a powerful identity at the gateway to luxury. CEO Alain Zimmermann explains.

Swiss watch exports could double over the next fifteen years to reach CHF 40 billion as the number of ten-digit turnovers grows.

Swissness, which proposes to increase the Swiss-made value of industrial products to 60%, has reached an important stage in its adoption. Debate is rife among watchmakers, particularly concerning the objective to raise the threshold for mechanical watches to 80%.