In response to questioning about declining watch sales, TAG Heuer CEO and Hublot shareholder Jean Claude Biver famously remarked, “The watch industry is not in trouble, the world is.”
Is the world really falling apart? Or is this just a bad excuse for a declining watch market?
Whether the world is in trouble, watches are in trouble, or both, it’s no longer a secret that the luxury watch industry is facing hard times. The “smartwatch crisis” that was prophesized in a previous post is coming to fruition, as Apple now ranks under Rolex at number two in global watch sales. The Richemont Group — parent company of A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, Cartier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis and Vacheron Constantin (among other luxury brands) — just annouced a massive management overhaul in response to the current trend, which included eliminating their CEO position entirely.
This all may change. In the late hours of November 8th, Republican nominee Donald Trump was declared the 45th President of the United States. The immediate market response? S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures fell 5% overnight, but recovered losses by morning. Dow Jones futures dropped by over 800 points while the Dow Jones Industrial Average went up by nearly 1% by noon Eastern Time Wednesday. As of now, investors are uncertain about how a Trump presidency will influence the global market.
Will Trump’s term make the luxury watch industry great again?
To his credit, Donald Trump has seen a successful career as a businessman. This, combined with promises of tax cuts for the wealthy, is likely to instill confidence among investors during Trump’s term. Consumers will keep a close eye on unemployment rates, job growth and housing prices before digging into their savings and using their credit cards.
Spending during this holiday season should serve as a strong indicator of market trends in 2017. Donald Trump’s adherence to his “First 100 Days” plan may also play an important role. The truth is: it’s far too early to project how the United States economy will react to its new president-elect. Time will tell – pun intended.
As this story unfolds, AuthenticWatches.com will continue to sell the world’s best watches at the world’s best prices. If you’re looking for an unforgettable gift this holiday season, head over to our Holiday Sale section (now with extended returns): Shop our specials.
————————————————————————-
- Swithinbank, Robin. “Jean-Claude Biver: ‘The Watch Industry Is Not in Trouble, The World Is.'” The Business of Fashion. The Business of Fashion, 24 Mar. 2016. Web. 09 Nov. 2016.
- Gretler, Corinne, and Thomas Mulier. “Richemont Abolishes CEO Role Amid Biggest Shakeup in Years.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 3 Nov. 2016. Web. 09 Nov. 2016.
- Garrison, Mark. “An Uncertain Political Future for U.S. Trade Policy.” An Uncertain Political Future for U.S. Trade Policy. Marketplace.org, 9 Nov. 2016. Web. 09 Nov. 2016.
- Kelly, Amita, and Barbara Sprunt. “Here Is What Donald Trump Wants To Do In His First 100 Days.” NPR. NPR, 9 Nov. 2016. Web. 09 Nov. 2016.
*Disclaimer: This article is not meant to reflect any personal political views of AuthenticWatches.com as a corporation. The intention of this article is to speculate on potential shifts in the luxury watch market in relation to a changing political climate.