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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May- 2015 -12 MayAnalysis
FEATURE: The future is here
It’s clear that technology manufacturers are entering the wristwatch space with the intention of re-defining it. But what does this mean for innovation elsewhere in the market? Where is design going and will it be informed by the smartwatch phenonemon? TOM DAVIS explores With the Apple Watch launching this there…
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11 MayWatch Focus
Phillips reports successful inaugural watch auction
Auction house Phillips has reported a successful inaugural watch auction as it broke numerous records and achieved 29.6 million Swiss Francs (£20.5m). The auction, which was held in Geneva on Saturday May 9 and Sunday May 10, sold four watches for over $1m (£640,000) and established multiple records including the…
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7 MayWatch Focus
IWC enters wearable tech market with new device
IWC Schaffhausen has announced the launch of a new device which will allow wearers to track their activity and connect to other devices. IWC Connect is a small circular device that can be attached to the straps of the brand’s mechanical sports watches, allowing them to track their activity and…
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Apr- 2015 -24 AprilWatch Focus
Swiss watch exports perform strongly in March
Swiss watch exports were boosted in March as their value increased by 6.3% compared with the previous year – the highest monthly increase since January 2014. This is according to the latest statistics from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry which found that, at almost £1.8bn (£1.25bn) francs, the…
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21 AprilWatch Focus
Fellows reports successful first monthly watch auction
Fellows announced that its inaugural ‘The Watch Sale’ – a new monthly watch auction – was successful with a 93% sale rate. The Watch Sale, which launched on Monday, April 20, marked a move away from the company’s separate specialist watch sale and specialist pocket watch sale, which were held…
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Mar- 2015 -30 MarchCrime
Three arrests after rooftop raid at Beaverbrooks in Huddersfield
Three men have been arrested following a roof-top raid at a Beaverbrooks store in Huddersfield town centre. The suspects are believed to have been caught following an operation which involved the West Yorkshire police helicopter. It is believed that police were called to the building at the corner of King…
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27 MarchAnalysis
Watch out for the Swiss franc
Swiss watchmakers have reacted to the strength of the franc by raising their prices in the Eurozone, but this is not necessarily bad news for UK retailers, finds TOM DAVIS Swiss watch exports have been soaring in recent years and in 2014 they reached a record high, bringing in a…
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27 MarchRetailers
Signet delivers highest Q4 sales growth in 13 years
Signet’s UK division, which owns H Samuel and Ernest Jones, has experienced its highest Q4 sales increase in 13 years and its best operating profit in three years. In the 13 weeks to January 31, the company reported a same-store sales increase of 7.5%, with total sales reaching $278m (£186.6m).…
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26 MarchWatch Focus
IWC celebrates 10-year partnership with Mercedes-AMG with new watch
IWC Schaffhausen is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its partnership with Mercedes-AMG with the launch of a motoring inspired watch. The Ingenieur Automatic Edition ‘AMG GT’, is made of solid boron carbide – one of the hardest materials in existence – and is limited to just 25 pieces. It features…
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25 MarchCrime
Shoppers tackle armed robber in Leeds jewellery store raid
Members of the public tackled and detained an armed robber as he tried to flee the scene of a jewellery store raid in Leeds city centre yesterday. The incident took place at Berrys Jewellers, in Albion Street, when three masked men entered the store at 3:20pm and threatened staff with…
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