Switzerland’s watch exports last year fell by almost 10%, the maximum decline for the last 7 years. The demand for luxury watches has declined in almost all countries except China, Japan and the United States. Russia again made the record, because there is a demand for Swiss watches not simply fell, and fell more than 20%. Experts cite several reasons, including the interest of Russians to Apple technology, why luxury watches stop being indispensable accessory for businessmen and officials. According to the “Coherent”, in 2016 a “smart” watch Apple Watch became the most popular in Russia wearable device.
The demand for Swiss watches in Russia proved to be the most sensitive. According to the Federation of the enterprises of the Swiss watch industry, Swiss watch exports Swiss brands in our country in 2016 decreased by 21.6% compared to the year 2015 and 44.3% compared with 2014, said head of the LSM in the Department of private banking of the Bank Kirill Filatov.
One of the reasons for the drop in sales of Swiss watches in Russia – the business etiquette that is reflected in the accessories lounge. Times faster, technology is updated rapidly, which affects the liberalization in all respects, experts say. According to the top Manager of ADG Group Dmitry Yurtsvayg, in recent years, when the popularity of Apple products has grown exponentially, unwritten requirements of the premium accessories in the middle and upper echelons of business have become more democratic.
“Now that there’s the Apple Watch, the need to wear expensive Swiss watches are not so obvious. To produce at the meeting the right impression you can do without them”, – shares his observations of this top Manager. Moreover, for lovers of fashion brands of the Apple Watch are manufactured with exquisite straps, for example, Hermes house.
However, Swiss manufacturers do not lose optimism. According to experts, really in the history of the Swiss watch will not go away. “Trends and fashion timepieces vary from year to year, but the Russian customers always appreciate high quality and precision and also classic design and high functionality of the Swiss products. The rhythm of life not allow it to lag for a minute and invited the watchmakers to meet these trends,” said Kirill Filatov. The same opinion is shared by Dmitry Yurtsvayg. He believes that the demand for products of the luxury watch brands will always exist.
Meanwhile, according to “Coherent” in 2016, Apple occupied about 50% of the Russian market “smart” hours.
“The most popular smart-have accessory in Russia (and, accordingly, the top-selling “smart” clock) is the Apple Watch approximately every fourth user of the wearable gadget has taken on in 2016, this is the device that” writes “the Messenger”.
The company noted that the Apple Watch will attract buyers not only for its functionality but also design. Another factor in the growth of interest in the Apple Watch is the demand of the iPhone in Russia – in 2016, Apple’s smartphones have occupied a leading position in the market of “smart” phones in our country.
