https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Global exports of Swiss watches fell nearly eight percent in January from the same month a year earlier, the industry said on Thursday, as sales to main markets Hong Kong and the US slowed. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160218/swiss-watch-exports-continue-to-decline Thu, 18 Feb 2016 16:48:15 +0100 swiss-watch-exports-continue-to-decline Swatch, Switzerland’s largest watch company, is branching out into sunglasses for a second time through a deal announced on Tuesday with Italian eyewear creator Safilo. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160209/swatch-branches-out-into-cool-shades-market Tue, 09 Feb 2016 23:21:56 +0100 swatch-branches-out-into-cool-shades-market Swatch on Wednesday posted a 21-percent-drop in its annual net profit, as the world's biggest watch group was slammed by a strong Swiss franc and a struggling timepiece sector. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160203/swatch-profit-falls-for-first-time-in-five-years Wed, 03 Feb 2016 18:51:25 +0100 swatch-profit-falls-for-first-time-in-five-years Swiss watch exports slumped in 2015, marking their first fall in six years, an industry body said Tuesday, as the key Hong Kong market tanked. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160126/annual-swiss-watch-exports-mark-first-drop-since-2009 Tue, 26 Jan 2016 15:52:34 +0100 annual-swiss-watch-exports-mark-first-drop-since-2009 The new head of Hermès Watches is hoping a more feminine touch, added with the fashion group's own in-house know-how, will help it navigate through the turbulence rocking the Swiss watchmaking industry. https://www.thelocal.ch/20151202/new-head-of-watch-brand-focuses-on-women Wed, 02 Dec 2015 10:55:42 +0100 new-head-of-watch-brand-focuses-on-women The world's biggest watch group Swatch recorded a drop in profit of more than 26 percent in 2014 from the previous year following massive investments, and said it was bracing for the impact of an overvalued Swiss franc. https://www.thelocal.ch/20150205/swatch-profit-plunges-despite-higher-sales Thu, 05 Feb 2015 12:48:00 +0100 swatch-profit-plunges-despite-higher-sales Geneva's luxury watch show where shop owners search out such brands as Cartier and Piaget opened Monday under a cloud as the franc surged after the Swiss central bank abandoned its bid to hold down its value. https://www.thelocal.ch/20150119/franc-rise-clouds-geneva-watch-trade-show Mon, 19 Jan 2015 21:23:00 +0100 franc-rise-clouds-geneva-watch-trade-show After issuing a veiled threat last year to leave Geneva because of high taxes, ultra-luxury watchmaker Patek Philippe has announced plans to invest 450 million francs ($442 million) on an expansion project in the canton. https://www.thelocal.ch/20150114/luxury-watch-brand-to-invest-heavily-in-geneva Wed, 14 Jan 2015 23:49:00 +0100 luxury-watch-brand-to-invest-heavily-in-geneva Napoleon's admirers will be able to carry his DNA on their wrists after a Swiss company announced Tuesday its plans to sell watches containing a fragment of the emperor's hair. https://www.thelocal.ch/20141125/napoleons-hair-to-feature-in-geneva-watches Tue, 25 Nov 2014 22:16:00 +0100 napoleons-hair-to-feature-in-geneva-watches Swatch, the world’s biggest watch company, recorded lower profits for the first six months of 2014 compared to the same period a year earlier, as the strong Swiss franc took its toll. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140722/strong-franc-dents-swatch-first-half-profits Tue, 22 Jul 2014 12:30:00 +0200 strong-franc-dents-swatch-first-half-profits One million fake Swiss watches were seized and destroyed around the world last year in the fight against counterfeiters, the Swiss watch industry organization said on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140626/counterfeit-fighters-smash-1m-fake-swiss-watches Thu, 26 Jun 2014 23:22:00 +0200 counterfeit-fighters-smash-1m-fake-swiss-watches Swatch group faced pressure from the United States after refusing to open its factories to inspection by American terrorism experts, the head of the world’s largest watch company says. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140406/us-sought-access-to-swatch-factories-2 Sun, 06 Apr 2014 21:10:00 +0200 us-sought-access-to-swatch-factories-2 Baselworld, the showcase for watchmakers, opened on a bright note on Thursday, with industry leaders seeing a rise in global demand despite a sharp slowdown for expensive watches in China. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140327/watchmakers-at-baselworld-see-uptick-in-fortunes Thu, 27 Mar 2014 16:51:00 +0100 watchmakers-at-baselworld-see-uptick-in-fortunes The family that owns Patek Philippe, one of the world’s most prestigious watch brands, is threatening to move its headquarters away from Geneva or to sell up because of “high taxes”. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140324/watchmaker-patek-philippe-threatens-to-quit-geneva Mon, 24 Mar 2014 23:08:00 +0100 watchmaker-patek-philippe-threatens-to-quit-geneva Hollywood stars, top models and other celebrities descended on Geneva on Tuesday night to model luxury timepieces and take part in what actor Ewan McGregor called a “circus”, otherwise known as the local annual watch show. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140122/geneva-watch-show-a-circus-ewan-mcgregor Wed, 22 Jan 2014 11:41:00 +0100 geneva-watch-show-a-circus-ewan-mcgregor Swiss luxury watch brand Tag Heuer opened a new 25-million-franc factory this week in Chevenez, a village in the canton of Jura. https://www.thelocal.ch/20131106/tag-heuer-opens-new-plant-in-jura Wed, 06 Nov 2013 12:51:00 +0100 tag-heuer-opens-new-plant-in-jura The world's biggest watchmaking group Swatch reported on Tuesday that net profit growth slowed in the first half of the year, but still beat analysts' expectations. https://www.thelocal.ch/20130723/swatch-profits-tick-ahead-of-forecasts Tue, 23 Jul 2013 13:28:00 +0200 swatch-profits-tick-ahead-of-forecasts Swiss watchmakers are warily eyeing Apple's reported progress towards creating a "smartwatch", but say they are not too worried about the tech goliath's likely incursion into their traditional turf. https://www.thelocal.ch/20130715/swiss-watchmakers-unfazed-by-apples-smarwatch Mon, 15 Jul 2013 15:58:00 +0200 swiss-watchmakers-unfazed-by-apples-smarwatch The value of Swiss watch exports fell by 3.9 percent in May compared to the same month a year earlier as orders to Hong Kong and China fell dramatically, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) reported on Thursday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20130620/swiss-watch-exports-fall-back-in-may Thu, 20 Jun 2013 12:02:00 +0200 swiss-watch-exports-fall-back-in-may The head of Swatch, the world’s biggest watchmaker, unveiled a new mechanical watch at Baselworld on Thursday that the Swiss company hopes will breathe new life into its line of low-cost timepieces. https://www.thelocal.ch/20130425/swatch-unveils-51-piece-mechanical-watch Fri, 26 Apr 2013 01:11:00 +0200 swatch-unveils-51-piece-mechanical-watch