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The Swiss watchmaking industry was on a roll. In the first half of 2023, watch exports<\/strong> continued to increase by 11.8%<\/strong>, according to the watch federation (FH).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After already two record years, they increased by 10% in the United States, 25% in China and 29% in Hong Kong<\/strong> in the first half of the year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “The first half of the year thus ended with a particularly high result<\/em>,” the federation said. A great start to the year<\/strong>, when we know that the sector has already reached historic levels of 22.3 billion francs in 2021 and 24.8 billion in 2022.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The watch federation added that Swiss exports “showed no signs of weakness in June<\/em>” as they grew by 14% compared to June 2022<\/strong>. By comparison, growth in the United States rose by almost 9% in the first month of the summer, although growth slowed somewhat. Last April, they dropped in the market for the first time in over two years, before rebounding rapidly in May.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In China, exports increased by 9% compared to the same period in 2022, and surged by 46% in Hong Kong, mainly thanks to the return of tourists<\/strong>, after the lifting of health restrictions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n On the old continent, they jumped by 14% in France, 17% in Germany and 32% in Italy<\/strong>. The FH adds, however, that the United Kingdom, the leading watch market in Europe, has “kept back from the main continental markets”.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Last week, the Swiss group Swatch<\/strong>, which holds brands such as Omega, Tissot and Blancpain, reported a sharp rebound in its sales<\/strong> twice a year, thanks to the reopening of China. For its part, the Richemont<\/strong> group, which holds several prestigious brands such as Piaget, Jaeger-Lecoultre and Cartier, recorded a slight decrease in its sales<\/strong> in the Americas (-2% in its first fiscal quarter), at a time when investors are worried about a possible recession in the United States.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Read also >Watchmaking: Swiss exports up again in April<\/a><\/p>\nHorological expeditions around the world<\/h2>\n