While the Apple Watch may have lost market share to other smartwatches in Q1 2016, its future prospects remain strong if one marketing firm is to be believed. A new study by Business Insider predicts that the Apple Watch will account for 40% of the luxury watch market (defined as watches that sell for US$350 or more) by 2020. The report […]
Watches
Smartwatch shipments beat Swiss watch shipments in Q4 2015
The Swiss watch industry may not have entered another ice age just yet but it appears that winter has arrived. The latest report from Strategy Analytics has found that smartwatch shipments topped those of traditional Swiss watches for the first time in Q4 2015. It estimates that 8.1 million smartwatches shipped while Swiss watch shipments hit 7.9 million units. While the former […]
Kyoto University to ban watches at entrance exams
We first told you earlier this year that a number of universities in the UK were starting to treat watches the same as smartphones and other mobile devices when it came to writing exams. Students were asked to store their smartwatches and watches alongside their mobile devices in a plastic wallet under their desk in a bid to cut down on cheating. The […]
Swiss watch exports experience biggest decline in years in October
2015 may well go down in history as a year to remember for the Swiss watch industry but not for reasons they will probably wish to forget. Not only was October the fourth consecutive month of declining Swiss watch exports but it was also the biggest drop in six years. In all, Swiss watch shipments have fallen by 3.2% in the first ten months […]
Apple Watch to account for 40% of luxury watch market by 2020
Traditional watch makers predicted that the Apple Watch would have a significant impact on their market even before it came out. For example, Elmar Mock, the co-inventor of the Swatch, predicted an “Ice Age” for the Swiss watch industry. Early numbers are suggesting that those fears were not unfounded. U.S. watch sales in June were the lowest seen in eight […]
Fossil sees future in “smarter watches” as well as smartwatches
Fossil first announced its intention to jump into wearables back in March. It outlined a strategy that includes a range of devices, some with displays and others without. More recently, it announced that it would launch new Fossil watches “with some added technology features” as early as Q4. CEO Kosta Kartsotis yesterday provided additional details as the company announced its Q2 financial results. […]
Smartwatches already impacting traditional watch sales?
Traditional watch makers are nervously watching to see how smartwatch sales will affect the sales of traditional ones. Elmar Mock, the co-inventor of the Swatch, already warned that the Swiss watch industry could soon find itself in an Ice Age. He is not alone in warning that sales could plummet as consumers opt for smartwatches that not only tell the […]
Apple Watch to trigger ice age for Swiss watch industry
Apple is expected to pole vault right to the top of the smartwatch manufacturer list this year with the Apple Watch. The impact will be felt not only by other smartwatch manufacturers but also by the traditional watch industry. Elmar Mock, the co-inventor of the Swatch, predicts that Apple will sell about as many Apple watches a year as the […]