The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) published its export figures for June 2026 on July 21: approximately CHF 2.4 billion in value, an 11.2% increase compared to the same month of the previous year. In volume, the industry shipped 1.3 million pieces—11.7% more than in June 2025.
It sounds good, and it is. After an April that plummeted 16.6% and a nearly flat May (+0.4%), June was the respite the industry needed. The first half of 2026 remains in negative territory—cumulatively, exports fell 0.7% in value—but the June rebound changes the tone of the conversation.
The interesting part isn't the total. It's the breakdown by price range.
When FH breaks down its figures by price category, one data point stands out: watches in the CHF 200–500 range (approximately USD 250–620) grew 54.1% in value during June. This is not a rounding error. It is the fastest-growing segment of the month.
The contrast with the mid-range segment is striking: watches between CHF 500 and CHF 3,000 fell 4.7% in the same period. Luxury watches—those above CHF 3,000—did grow, by 14.2%, which explains why the dominant narrative in the specialized media will remain optimistic. But the overall picture is more nuanced. June was strong for the extremes of the pyramid—accessible and pure luxury—while the mid-range segment, where brands like TAG Heuer and Tudor compete, showed fragility.
Among geographic markets, June growth was led by the United States (+12.7%, CHF 349 million). France reported a jump of +103.5% (CHF 250 million), a figure that Swiss sources themselves describe as atypical—likely due to a comparative base effect or shipments concentrated in the period, not a real trend reversal. The United Kingdom grew by 12.2%, Japan by 8.8%, Hong Kong by 6.9%, and Singapore by 6.7%.
It is worth noting a minor discrepancy between sources: swissinfo.ch and SRG SSR report CHF 2.4 billion for the month, while RFJ—Swiss regional radio—cites CHF 2.28 billion for the same period. The difference is likely due to rounding or different data cutoffs. Both sources confirm the overall trend: June was a solid month.
Latin America and Spain Perspective
There is no verified figure for Swiss imports specifically for Mexico or Latin America in June 2026—the FH's publicly available geographic breakdown doesn't provide that level of detail, and we're not going to invent a number that doesn't exist. What we can say is that the growth of the CHF 200–500 segment has direct implications for the Spanish-speaking buyer. This is the range where brands with well-established distribution channels in Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Spain are found: Tissot, Hamilton, Certina, Mido, and Longines, in their entry-level models. More production and exports in this range generally translate into better global availability and, in the medium term, a greater supply of pre-owned watches at competitive prices on platforms accessible from Latin America.
Specialized media outlets in fine watchmaking will speak optimistically about the growth in the range above CHF 3,000. They are probably partly right. However, there's another watch in this story: the one that costs between CHF 200 and CHF 500. That watch also experienced its best June in a long time. And that reflects the industry as a whole.
