The watchmaking year 2025 – a look back at highlights, controversies and innovations, Part 1
Before the watchmaking world descends into the busy and sometimes hectic preparation phase for the upcoming trade fairs and events, it's worth taking a look back at the past year in the watch industry. And while many things can be said about it, one thing that can't be said is that it was boring.
Each month, we make it a point to remind ourselves and you of the most important events and new products in the watchmaking year 2025 that we reported on at INSIGHT LUXURY.
January 2025
Allow me to begin with a personal highlight. In January 2025, ideas and visions became reality. Launched in 2022 as an online magazine as part of a collaboration with Inhorgenta, which was initiated at that time, we went on to... INSIGHT LUXURY successfully launched as an independent magazine.
Our content includes current news, exciting stories, new products, personnel, economic topics, market trends, and reports on manufacturers, brands, retailers, and other players in the watch and jewelry industry.
In doing so, we contextualize events and developments and share our own views with you, our readers.
We had chosen a good time. The global community shouldn't be kept in suspense. There was a lot to report.
And initially, things looked really good for the watch industry. For example, the Exports from the Swiss watch industry in the January 2025 compared to the same month of the previous year, by 4.1 percent.
A fantastic year for watches seemed to be in store, after the Swiss 2024 with a decrease of 2.8 percent had completed.
Then came Trump. But we'll get to that later.
February 2025
The second month of 2025 proved to be mixed. First, the bad news: The Swatch Group A sales decline of 14.4 percent was expected. and acknowledge a 75 percent drop in profits for 2024. Nevertheless, Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek gave the company a grade of 3 (on a scale where 1 is the best) for the watch industry in 2024.
At Kering Things didn't look any better. The company is suffering from the weakness of its main brand Gucci and reported a twelve percent drop in revenue for 2024 in February 2025. The pre-owned watch platform Chrono24 Meanwhile, it announced a streamlining of corporate management. and the dismissal of 110 employees.
Apropos Pre-owned watch marketFollowing Morgan Stanley and Luxeconsult's 2024 annual report on the state of the Swiss watch industry Rolex a sustained and even growing market power Following your assessment, Chrono24 conducted an analysis of the secondary market.
And here too The brand with the crown defended its dominance.
Speaking of Rolex: The Geneva-based company announced in February 2025 the end of the watch brand Carl F. Bucherer. Only in the summer of 2023 did the watch giant take over the globally operating jewelry chain Bucherer, whose owner Jörg Bucherer himself had founded Carl F. Bucherer in 2021.
And the good news? Firstly, there was the unwavering creativity and Innovative power of watch creators, which delighted with new watch releases at the beginning of the new year. In addition, the Swiss watch industry was able to report a record for January. Export plus amounting to 4.1 percent They announced figures compared to the same month last year. Today we know: that was the calm before the storm.
Some of the creative new watch designs for the beginning of the year could be seen from February 21st to 24th, 2025 in the Clock Hall A1 the Inhorgenta Explore Munich. Here's just a small selection:
Exhibitors and visitors appeared satisfied and optimistic. This was especially true for the winners of the Inhorgenta Awards 2025, which were ceremoniously presented and appropriately celebrated on February 22nd in the Small Olympic Hall.
We at Insight Luxury were also delighted by the many exciting encounters and conversations at the Munich industry event.
This also included Breitling CEO Georges Kern, whom we were pleased to welcome for an interview at our stand in the clock hall A1.
The next watch event was already casting its shadow. Watches & Wonders announced new exhibitors: from MeisterSinger to Armin Strom, Christiaan van der Klaauw, Genus, Hyt to Bulgari, the Geneva watch fair already whetted appetites for the April event in February.
March 2025
March 2025 was marked by the people, personalities, movers and shakers, and characters of the watch industry. Some came, some went, and others changed roles… there were honorees, supporters, and ambassadors. Here are the corresponding headlines on INSIGHT LUXURY:
MeisterSinger: The second generation is taking off at the single-hand watch specialist.
G-SHOCK welcomes Sandro Wagner as its new brand ambassador
Will the new Gucci chief designer bring about a change?
BVSU President begins his seventh term in office
Jean-Marc Pontroué is leaving Panerai
Frédéric Arnault is leaving LVMH's watch division.
Alexander Shorokhov dedicates another watch to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mikhail Gorbachev.
Breitling: New brand ambassador and new in-house caliber
Eppli is auctioning off Leonid Brezhnev's IWC pocket watch
LVMH: Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin replaces Frédéric Arnault
Successful Christ campaign for children
And the numbers? Garmin In March 2025, the company announced a substantial 20 percent increase in revenue for 2024 – smartwatches performed particularly well. Meanwhile, the Swiss watch industry It's not gaining momentum and is even recording a decline in the US. And things were about to get worse.
They must not be forgotten the clocks of March 2025, which once again showcased the creative spirit of the designers and engineers.
That was it, that Quarter 1 of the watchmaking year 2025 – or at least a small part of it. The second quarter was no less exciting and multifaceted: A minor cliffhanger: the customs bombshell exploded right into the idyllic world of the Watches & Wonders luxury bubble.
Stay tuned!
