Luxury shares beckon investors
As prices have tumbled from February highs, shares in listed luxury companies have all the charm of an excellent investment opportunity, with the added appeal of a pandemic-proof balance sheet.
Articles on the subject:
Swatch Group
Mega-brands drive the watchmaking market
Released mid-March, the third Morgan Stanley report, in collaboration with LuxeConsult, on the Swiss watch market shows that out of some 350 brands, the bulk of growth in 2019 came from the seven whose turnover exceeds CHF 1 billion. The analysis also highlights the outperformance of privately owned brands.
Swatch Group arrives on the smartwatch market
The smartwatch segment has a new player: the long-awaited T-Touch Connect Solar that Swatch Group presented at its annual news conference.
After Hong Kong, China is the next hit to Swiss watch exports
The outbreak of coronavirus could weigh heavily on watch brands' bottom line, given that the traditional Lunar New Year spending spree didn't happen. Asia, excluding the Middle East, accounts for 44% of Swiss watch exports, suggesting a chaotic year ahead.
Is it all change for the Swiss watch industry in 2020?
An ongoing drop in volume exports, an inexplicable intervention by the competition watchdog, problems in Hong Kong, individual exhibition strategies... the face of the Swiss watch industry is changing in 2020.
The watch market polarises in 2019
The gap continues to widen between luxury watches and entry-level, resulting in a slight increase in total export value alongside a drastic decline in volume. Suppliers suffer as the sector becomes increasingly consolidated.
After LVMH, will others bid for Tiffany?
At $120 per share or €14.5 billion, LVMH's offer for Tiffany was judged too low. Now the battle is on between luxury mastodons, which includes Richemont and Kering, to take control of the storied American jeweller.
Luxury under threat in Hong Kong
With protesters more determined than ever after four months of unrest, Hong Kong is struggling to maintain its status as a world capital of luxury. Economic recession in the special administrative region spells bad news for watch brands as shipments to this main export market have fallen by 6% since the start of the year.
Why engineers are leading the battle of the balance spring
When all balance springs were metal, Swatch Group's Nivarox enjoyed a virtual monopoly. The most widespread alternative, patented silicon technology, is also the property of a handful of manufacturers. However crucial it may be, mechanically and strategically, the balance spring is about materials science, not horological genius.