American watch sales increase by 20% in 2025
In 2025, American watch sales experienced a notable 20% increase, defying challenges such as tariffs, high gold prices, and a weakening dollar. The growth was driven largely by affluent consumers willing to invest in luxury timepieces, with average sales per retail location climbing to $890,716, according to data from the Luxury Watch Barometer. Noteworthy was the performance of “Prestige” brands, which averaged sales of $4.4 million per store, significantly outpacing the “Luxury” category. Interestingly, retail sales data diverged from Swiss watch export figures, which remained flat at CHF 4.4 billion. This discrepancy highlights the notion that export numbers do not accurately reflect actual sales performance. Industry leaders, like Swatch Group’s CEO Nick Hayek, emphasize that export statistics can be misleading, as they do not account for products sold to agents or those held in inventory, thereby complicating the understanding of market dynamics.
