Drop in Swiss Watch Exports Linked to Apple Watch

The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry reports that August shipments of Swiss Watches fell 1.6 percent to about 1.47 billion Swiss Fracs ($1.5 billion). Exports of watches under 200 Francs ($205) were down about 13 percent, and watches between $205 to $514 dollars dropped 24 percent. Ouch.

Some of the poor performance has been blamed on the rising Franc as well as some economic uncertainties in China, however, the Apple Watch is also believed to be drawing the attention of people who would otherwise be considering a low to mid-range analog watch. Since many of the watches sold range between $200 – $500, and the Apple Watch fits right in that range, you can see how concerns are beginning to take place.

In terms of watches that are over $3,000, it appears that Apple has had little impact on Swiss exports, which in fact rose 1.7 percent.

We’re only a few months in and it already seems like the Apple Watch is having an impact. Imagine a few years from now.