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The watch industry is confronting a significant skills gap as demand for new watchmakers outpaces the supply of trained professionals. Brands such as Rolex have launched tuition‑free programs like the Dallas Watchmaking Training Center, offering 18‑month courses with tools, stipends and no prior experience required. Swatch Group expands
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The Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève has announced the full roster of its 2026 Jury, a panel of twenty‑four distinguished figures from watchmaking, art, journalism and collecting. Chaired by Wei Koh, the jury includes notable personalities such as Adel Al‑Rahmani, Carla Chalouhi, Rémy Cools, Nicolas de
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London‑based Zeon, a global manufacturer, distributor and retailer of watches and clocks for brands such as Vivienne Westwood, Braun and Ingersoll, reported a record‑breaking financial year ending March 31 2026. Turnover rose 10 percent to £14 million, while operating profit held steady at £1.7 million, reflecting the
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The limited‑edition Christopher Ward C1 Bel Canto watch, featuring a pink‑to‑blue graduated dial inspired by Miami’s South Beach, was originally priced at $4,725 and quickly sold out among MIA Watch Club members. One retained piece, numbered 17 of the 35 produced, was auctioned for charity,
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Grand Theft Auto 6’s upcoming trailer has sparked excitement not only for the game’s storyline and visuals but also for the fictional watch brands that populate its world. The three in‑game marques—Crowex, Kronos and Covgari—draw clear inspiration from real‑life luxury and functional timepieces. Crowex
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Indies NYC, founded by collector and RedBar veteran Jon Cruys, offers a unique twist on traditional watch fairs by providing a platform for independent watchmakers to showcase their talent in New York City without selling exhibition space. The intimate, invite‑only salon, which began with a handful of brands, has
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Hublot’s first Chicago boutique opened on August 18 in the Fulton Market District, marking the brand’s sixteenth U.S. location and twentieth across North America. Operated by Geneva Seal, the 844‑square‑foot space showcases the full range of Hublot collections—including Big Bang, Spirit of Big Bang,
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Lawrence Butler made watch history by becoming the first known Major League Baseball player to wear a mechanical watch during an official game, sporting the Norqain Wild ONE Skeleton Gecko on the field. The lightweight 78‑gram timepiece, built with Norqain’s proprietary carbon‑fiber case and a rubber shock
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Search The Watch Market has introduced an AI Market Chat tool that provides collectors and dealers with instant, data‑driven answers to watch pricing and valuation questions. By leveraging live listings, auction results, and sales data from major platforms, independent dealers, private sellers, and auction houses, the AI delivers accurate
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The high‑end watch market is experiencing a pronounced shift toward trophy watches, with ultra‑wealthy collectors focusing on rare, historically significant pieces rather than simply brand prestige. Record‑breaking auction results for independent makers such as F.P. Journe, Kari Voutilainen and De Bethune demonstrate that collectors now value
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Panerai’s history intertwines genuine naval instrument heritage with a later‑crafted myth that boosted its luxury image. Founded in 1860, the brand supplied waterproof, legible devices to the Italian Navy before a period of decline, only to be revived in the 1990s when Richemont acquired it and, under Angelo
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Citizen Watch Company reported a strong first‑quarter performance, with net sales rising 30% to ¥98.1 billion ($614 million) and operating profit more than doubling to ¥10 billion ($62.6 million), yielding an operating margin of 10.1%. The group upgraded its full‑year 2026‑27 forecasts, projecting sales
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The Gaïa Prize, regarded as the watchmaking world’s equivalent of a Nobel, celebrated its 2026 winners, honoring exceptional contributions in craftsmanship, research, and entrepreneurship. Edmond Capt was recognized for his innovative creations and impactful calibers, Gaetano Mileti for his groundbreaking research in time‑frequency metrology, and Jean‑François Mojon
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Girard‑Perregaux has become the official timekeeper for the Williams Formula 1 team, taking over the role previously held by Bremont. The partnership is positioned as a collaborative exchange, aiming to blend the watchmaker’s precision engineering expertise with the racing team’s performance culture, and to foster mutual innovation
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Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. reported a robust first‑quarter performance for the three months ended June 30, 2026, with net sales climbing 30.3% year on year to ¥98.1 billion (about $614 million) and operating profit more than doubling to ¥9.9 billion ($62 million). The Watches segment led
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Berneron Watches quietly unveiled the next evolution of its Mirage line, the Mirage Miroir, featuring a mirrored movement architecture and a striking gold multi‑link bracelet. The new Calibre 283 mirrors the original Calibre 233 on the dial side, turning the skeletonised movement into both decorative guilloché hour markers and
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Daniel Bing returns to the UK to join Bremont as its global chief marketing officer after four years at Vacheron Constantin in New York. His experience includes leading marketing and communications for the Americas, driving HNWI acquisition, CRM strategy, cultural partnerships, boutique openings, and integrated campaigns, positioning him to shape
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The WGSN Future Consumer 2028 report highlights a growing demand for calm, meaningful products as consumers confront digital overload, uncertainty, and climate anxiety. Identifying the “Restorers” persona, the study shows that these shoppers prefer buying fewer, higher‑quality items that offer tactile experiences and showcase the maker’s mark, favoring
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The July 2026 watch market remained largely stable, with the overall index flat at +0.0%. Patek Philippe led modest gains, rising +1.2% driven by the Nautilus (+1.5%) and Aquanaut (+0.8%), while Audemars Piguet inched up +0.2% and Rolex slipped -0.6%. Glashütte Original emerged as
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Maurice Lacroix has appointed Joel Chabanne as its new managing director, succeeding Stéphane Waser who stepped down after a twelve‑year tenure in the role and eighteen years with the brand. Chabanne, who previously served as general manager for DKSH in Guam and spent two decades at Cartier, will inherit
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Gold prices have found a solid base around the $4,000 per ounce level, with recent buying from Chinese investors and a softer U.S. dollar supporting the metal’s rise toward its 50‑day moving average near $4,175 per ounce. The technical chart shows the price approaching this
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Fears Watch Company has opened a purpose‑built in‑house workshop at its new Bristol headquarters, bringing together assembly, servicing and quality control under one roof. The facility features a clean, partitioned space with anti‑static flooring, high‑output LED lighting, filtered air‑conditioning, dedicated benches and comprehensive equipment for
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Chopard’s UK operation experienced a 7% decline in sales, with revenue falling from £27.1 million in 2024 to £25.2 million in 2025. The downturn was accompanied by an increase in operating losses, rising from approximately £70 k to £199 k, while net assets stayed flat at £4.
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The UK division of Swatch Group has seen a dramatic rebound, with turnover climbing to £203 million, a 207 % increase since 2015, while global sales have fallen 25 % over the same period. After a sharp decline from a 2023 peak of £218 million to £194 million, profitability remains strong, with
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Seiko’s watch division reported a 16% revenue increase to ¥63 billion ($420 million) for the quarter ending June 2026, while operating profit rose 6% to ¥13.3 billion ($89 million) and margin improved to 20.8%. The company forecasts full‑year watch sales of ¥224 billion ($1.49 billion)
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The luxury watch market in the United States is rapidly shifting its focus toward the southern states, especially Florida and Texas, as wealth moves away from high‑tax, traditionally Democratic regions. Miami’s Design District has transformed into a global watch hub, attracting flagship boutiques from major brands such as
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Timeluxe opened its first Miami showroom in December 2025 within the Miami WorldCenter, occupying 4,893 sq ft and featuring Omega and Breitling as anchor brands alongside a curated mix of Longines, TAG Heuer, Tissot, Hamilton, Rado, Montblanc, John Hardy, and Fope. Founded by the family behind Kay’s Fine
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Casio’s timepiece division reported a near‑20% increase in global sales, reaching ¥74.5 billion ($472 million) in FY27 Q1, while operating profit more than tripled to ¥12.8 billion ($81 million). Timepiece sales alone rose 29%, generating ¥51 billion ($323 million) with an operating margin of 23.1%
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Rolex remains the dominant brand on the secondary watch market, accounting for 41% of total transaction value in the first half of 2026. However, its share of sales on Chrono24 has fallen sharply, dropping from over 44% in 2022 to just 30% now, the lowest level in seven years. The
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The American watch market is poised for significant growth, with primary and secondary sales projected to rise from $20 billion to over $30 billion in the coming years. Swiss watch exports to the United States have more than doubled since 2017, and retail sales through authorized channels reached $10.1
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A new independent platform called The British Bench has launched to bring clarity to the ambiguous term “British‑made” in watchmaking. By developing a five‑tier provenance framework, it aims to document where watches are designed, manufactured, assembled, regulated and tested, distinguishing between full domestic production and more limited British
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The discontinued Rolex GMT Master II Pepsi (reference 126710BLRO) has seen its auction prices drop by about 15% since peaking in April, while dealer prices have only slightly retreated from a high of $29,000 to around $28,000, with recent auction sales closer to $24,000. Despite the decline,
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Micromilspec has partnered with big‑air world champion kitesurfer Liam Whaley, naming him its brand ambassador. The Norwegian watchmaker highlights the natural fit between Whaley’s precision‑focused approach to kitesurfing and Micromilspec’s dedication to accurate timing instruments. Whaley chose the brand’s Field Test Unit, a stripped‑back
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The secondary market for watches saw a strong performance in the first half of 2026, reaching $10.5 billion, a 37.2 % increase from the same period in 2025. Rolex contributed $4.3 billion of that total, with $385 million generated by certified pre‑owned (CPO) sales—a 101 % rise—
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London Jewelers is celebrating its centenary in 2026 while marking the 30th anniversary of its East Hamptons showroom, a historic building transformed into a luxury watch and jewelry space. The store, known for offering high‑end brands such as Rolex, Bulgari, Longines and a curated fine‑jewelry collection, is hosting
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The piece examines recent data on secondary‑market pricing and value‑retention for three major luxury watch brands—Patek Philippe, Rolex, and Audemars Piguet. It contrasts reports from Morgan Stanley/WatchCharts and EveryWatch, highlighting that Patek Philippe’s prices have risen but its overall value‑retention remains mixed, with many
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The lawsuit filed by Collective Horology LLC challenges the Trump administration’s recent tariff measures, arguing that the 10% and 12.5% duties imposed under Section 301 exceed presidential authority and lack congressional approval. The company, a California‑based retailer of independent watch brands, claims to have already paid over
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Hermès reported first‑half 2026 revenues of €8.2 billion, with its watches métier contributing €269 million, essentially flat year over year. After a weak first quarter that saw watch revenues decline 3.7 % at constant exchange rates, the second quarter reversed the trend, delivering a 4.4 % sales increase
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Bucherer, owned by Rolex since 2023, plans to expand its U.S. presence by opening four additional Rolex showrooms. The first new boutique will launch in Seattle in the fall of 2026, followed by a flagship store on New York’s 5th Avenue slated for late 2026 or early 2027.
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Bucherer confirmed that it will manage the operational side of Rolex’s new flagship showroom on New York’s 5th Avenue, with an opening expected at the end of 2026 or early 2027. The flagship will span 43,000 sq ft across four floors, making it the world’s largest
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LVMH reported solid H1 2026 financial results, with sales increasing modestly by 2% to €33.6 billion and recurring operating profit reaching €8.7 billion, remaining flat compared with the same period last year. Growth in the Watches and Jewellery division accelerated, with sales rising from €5.09 billion to
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LVMH reported a revenue of €38.6 billion for the first half of 2026, achieving an organic growth of 3 % (4 % when excluding the impact of the Middle East conflict). The Watches & Jewellery division contributed €5.225 billion, marking a 9 % organic increase over the same period in 2025
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The Watches of Switzerland Group has launched its first multibrand showroom in Georgia, located in the Avalon retail center in Alpharetta, a suburban area of Atlanta. Spanning 3,000 square feet, the store features Rolex as its anchor brand alongside permanent shop‑in‑shops for Omega, Breitling, and TAG Heuer,
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De Bethune, the avant‑garde Swiss watchmaker, remains under the ownership of The 1916 Company, which refuted rumours that the brand was for sale. While François‑Henri Bennahmias pursued a minority stake, discussions did not lead to a deal, prompting the company to focus on its own growth plans as
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Swatch has launched a limited‑edition Apollo 11 MoonSwatch, capping production at 1,969 pieces to honor the historic lunar landing. Each watch costs CHF 500, contains 11 grams of Moonshine Gold, and was made available through an exclusive online application process that attracted 1.2 million hopeful buyers, creating
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The luxury watch market in the UK is witnessing a rapid contraction of monobrand boutiques, with over 40 closures reported in the past five years. Iconic stores such as TAG Heuer’s flagship on Oxford Street and a Longines boutique opened by Kate Winslet have shuttered, forcing brands to redirect
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Jean‑Christophe Babin, former CEO of TAG Heuer, Bulgari and LVMH Watches, argues that independent watchmakers founded in the last two decades could eventually overtake the established Swiss giants. Drawing on his experience inside a multi‑billion‑dollar luxury group and now as president of Geneva Watch Days, he points
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Swatch Group announced a notable 8.5% increase in sales for the first half of 2026, reflecting strong market performance and continued consumer demand for its timepieces. The growth underscores the company's successful strategies in product innovation, brand positioning, and global distribution, reinforcing its leadership within the watch
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Swiss watch exports experienced a notable increase of 11.2% in June 2026, reflecting a strong rebound in the luxury goods sector. The rise signals robust global demand for high‑end timepieces and underscores Switzerland’s pivotal role in the international watch market, reinforcing its reputation for quality and craftsmanship.
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The auction market for collectible watches is expanding and diversifying, attracting a younger, globally connected audience that includes first‑time bidders and digitally savvy enthusiasts. While traditional powerhouses such as Rolex and Patek Philippe remain popular, demand is shifting toward brands like Cartier, Piaget, and independent makers, with dress watches