ENTRY-LEVEL
“Connectivity isn’t going to stay on wrists for long”

“It is true that that this segment has been severely affected, especially by the advent of smartwatches. Yet these smart gadgets aren’t likely to stay on wrists for long, they’ll migrate closer to the brain. So I see a threat for the moment, but only for a limited time. Let’s hope the major groups in this segment will be able to resist long enough by introducing innovative products.”

“The new generations don’t have the same fondness for objects."

DISTRIBUTION
“The change was caused by the brands themselves.”

“The change was caused by the brands themselves. In the short term, the different means of distribution are having to live together, but in a relatively near future, the neighbourhood retail trade is going to have to reinvent itself. It has a huge card to play, because after-sales service is clearly being sidelined at the moment.”

Christophe Musy, co-founder & CEO of Mauron Musy

PRE-OWNED
“No longer the same fondness for objects as before”

“The new generations don’t have the same fondness for objects. So they’re delighted if they can pay a much lower price for a watch and sell it again on a whim. That was unthinkable for watch buyers a few decades ago.”

OPPORTUNITIES
“Increasingly tough to sell high volumes” “For high-volume brands, it’s going to be very tough. They can’t go on growing. That’s why we’ve gone for a business model with limited annual production of watches. The Swiss watch industry needs to place greater emphasis on quality watches, whereas today, the top range is defined ultimately by the marketing budget first and foremost. A new ecosystem to explore is that of sustainable development in relation to future generations, with locally sourced components.”