Watches
Watches hold a unique position in the jewellery trade, blending craftsmanship, design, and technology to create enduring appeal for consumers and lucrative opportunities for retailers. From luxury Swiss timepieces to emerging British watch brands, the sector continues to evolve with shifting trends, innovation in materials, and changing customer expectations. Jewellery Focus covers the watch industry from a trade perspective, offering news on brands and launches, market analysis, retail insights, and updates on supply chain and distribution. Our coverage equips jewellers, distributors, and suppliers with the intelligence needed to navigate this dynamic segment.
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Feb- 2016 -5 FebruaryRetailers
Fraser Hart set to open Colchester store
Jewellery chain Fraser Hart has announced it is set to open a new store in Colchester’s Culver Square shopping centre. The new store is expected to open in April and Fraser Hart, which has 39 other stores across the UK, said it has already started the interview process for the…
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3 FebruaryWatch Focus
Swatch Group reports 21% profit fall in 2015
Swatch Group has reported annual profits of 1.12bn Swiss francs (£761m) in 2015, a 21% fall when compared with the previous year. The company, which owns brands such as Calvin Klein, Blancpain, Tissot, Longines, Omega and Breguet, said the decline in profits was due to the “strong negative impact of…
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Jan- 2016 -19 JanuaryUncategorized
Apple Watches make up 52% of all smartwatch sales
The Apple Watch accounted for one in two of all smartwatch sales in 2015, according to a report from Juniper Research. Apple, according to the report, now makes up 52% of the global market despite its line having only launched in April. This means it took the lead without completing…
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18 JanuaryWatch Focus
Richemont sales fall 4% as demand for watches slumps
Richemont, the Swiss luxury goods group, has announced a disappointing fourth quarter amid falling demand for watches. The group reported that in the third quarter, ending 31 December, sales fell by 4% at constant exchange rates (increased 3% at actual exchange rates) as sales were affected by weak trading in…
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6 JanuaryCrime
Armed thieves raid Mayfair jewellery store three weeks after opening
A gang of armed raiders on mopeds raided a luxury jewellery store in London’s Mayfair district on Wednesday morning, just three weeks after it celebrated its opening. The Metropolitan Police are now appealing for information and witnesses to come forward following the smash-and-grab incident at Time Machine on Avery Row…
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6 JanuaryWatch Focus
IWC to showcase new ‘Big Pilot’ collection
Luxury watch brand IWC Schaffhausen is set to showcase its new ‘Big Pilot’ watch collection at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie 2016 in Geneva on 18 January. The collection sees the brand break its 75-year record set in 1940 when its historic Big Pilot’s watch was the largest…
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Dec- 2015 -17 DecemberWatch Focus
Rare Royal Navy Rolex sold for £120,000 at Bonhams auction
A military-issue Rolex wristwatch, originally purchased for under £1,000, was sold at Bonhams London Fine Watch sale on 16th December for £120,100. The watch, which was originally valued at £50,000 to £70,000, was brought to the Antiques Roadshow when the popular TV programme visited Lincolnshire in early 2015. The owner…
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14 DecemberCrime
VIDEO: Five jailed following smash-and-grab jewellery raid
A gang of five have been jailed for over 30 years after carrying out a smash-and-grab raid on an East London jewellery store. The incident took place at around 10:50am on 9 October 2014, when four men on two mopeds drove on to the pavement outside Attenborough Jewellers on Bethnal…
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9 DecemberEvents
Jacobs the Jewellers named UK’s ‘best jewellery retailer’
Jacobs the Jewellers in Reading has been named the UK’s ‘Retailer of the Year’ at the first-ever National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) awards. Jacobs, which won the award at the 80th Benevolent Society Ball held in Solihull on 3 December, was selected from a shortlist of five companies through a…
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8 DecemberEconomy
November retail sales slow as Black Friday shoppers turned to digital
Retail sales in the UK slowed down in November as consumers turned to e-commerce across the Black Friday weekend. That is according to the latest British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG Retail Sales Monitor, which found UK retail sales decreased 0.4% on a like-for-like basis from the same month last…
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