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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Mar- 2016 -17 MarchRetailers
F Hinds opens Doncaster store
Jewellery chain F Hinds has opened a new store in Doncasterโs Frenchgate Shopping Centre – its 118th shop in the UK. The store opened on Thursday, 10 March, with Emily Simpkins, full-time professional midfielder for Doncaster Roversโ Belles Ladies Football Club, cutting the ribbon to its doors. The new shop…
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8 MarchEconomy
Retail sales slow in February
Retail sales slowed to a near standstill in February, as like-for-like sales grew by just 0.1% compared with the same month last year. Thatโs according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and KPMG Retail Sales Monitor which found on a total basis sales were up 1.1%, against a 1.7% rise…
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3 MarchCrime
Five arrested: 90-mile police chase after jewellery store raid ends in dramatic crash
Five men whose failed smash-and-grab bid on a jewellery store in Taunton, Somerset, have been arrested after a 90-mile police chase ended in a car crash. The raid took place on Wednesday, 2 March, when a masked gang attempted to rob Michael Spiers Jewellers on North Street at 10:30am. It…
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Feb- 2016 -16 FebruaryWatch Focus
Swarovski to unveil its first automatic watch for women
Jewellery and watch brand Swarovski has announced it will unveil its first automatic watch for women at Baselworld 2016. The timepiece – named Crystalline Hours – was created in collaboration with watch designer Eric Giroud, and features a round face and curvy domed case containing some 4,000 tiny faceted crystals.…
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15 FebruaryCrime
Watches worth ‘five-figure sum’ stolen in Edinburgh jewellery store raid
Police in Edinburgh are appealing for witnesses following a break-in and theft at a jewellers on George Street, Edinburgh. The incident took place at around 1am on Friday, 12 February, when entry was forced through a window of Laing Edinburgh, which recently opened what is believed to be the largest…
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15 FebruaryWatch Focus
Breguet to launch first UK pop-up exhibition
Luxury Swiss watch brand Breguet is set to launch its first UK pop-up exhibition at the recently opened Watches of Switzerland store in Canary Wharf, London. The boutique is set to run from Thursday, 25 February, to Saturday, 27 February, and will showcase the โfinest selectionโ of watches from the…
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15 FebruaryWatch Focus
Florence Welch named as new ambassador for Gucci watches and jewellery
Gucci watches and jewellery has announced Florence Welch, the lead singer of British brand Florence + the Machine, as its new ambassador. The British musician was named as the new ambassador at a private event in Los Angeles on Friday, 12 February, and was interviewed in front of the audience…
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12 FebruaryEconomy
Counterfeiting costs UK jewellery and watch industry ยฃ138m a year
The jewellery and watch sector in the UK loses ยฃ138m every year as a result of counterfeit products in the marketplace, according to new figures. The two new reports from the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) – the EUโs largest intellectual property agency – said the jewellery…
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5 FebruaryRetailers
Fraser Hart set to open Colchester store
Jewellery chain Fraser Hart has announced it is set to open a new store in Colchesterโs 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 (ยฃ761m) 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 โstrong negative impact of…
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