Switzerland's watchmaking industry has been disabled, by the COVID-19 pandemic, same as fake watch industry. The late arrival of cargoes made people who bought fake watches curious. This led to a decrease in the orders received. But now cargoes are running as fast as before, Our fake watch sales are increasing gradually.
According to a recent prediction made by Swiss private bank Vontobel, fake watch exports could decline by 25 percent this year, which would be substantially more than during the Quartz Crisis of 1975 (-15.2 percent), or during the subprime mortgage crisis of 2009 (-22 percent). Swissmem, the country's leading association for SMEs and large companies in Switzerland's mechanical and electrical engineering industries, already sees the watch industry as the one sector being hit hardest among its members. For April alone, the sector had to report a decline in exports by 63 per-cent, compared to the previous month. Or in the words of the Federation of the Swiss watch industry FH, exports in April "collapsed by 81.3 percent, to 328.8 million francs.".
How Established Brands Will Navigate the Luxury Market Post-COVID-19
One thing is for sure, the industry will recover, even though it's currently impossible to predict what kind of market environment it will encounter. But because not everyone's sitting in the same proverbial boat, not all brands and suppliers can be expected to ride out the storm without damage (Basel world currently serving as the most prominent warning example). Best equipped for the luxury market in a post-COVID-19 world are established brands that have invested as much in their brand value as in their relationships with consumers. Educated buyers will always lean toward a product from a brand they trust, even more so in times of uncertainty. "Brand substance" is an indication that the product, buying experience, the manufacturer's history and values, its service apres-vente and target audience most likely will meet the buyer's expectation, which will ideally lead to a repeat purchase — perhaps the highest degree of customer loyalty to a brand.
Grand Seiko, for example, already had a cult following years before the Japanese watch brand became officially available in the U.S. For this issue, Martina Richter reviews the SBGJ219 Hi-Beat 36000 GMT from the Grand Seiko Elegance Collection. Jens Koch takes a look at the history of the Datejust from Fake Rolex, a watch that is often regarded as the "perfect watch for everyday wear." Mark Bernardo, on the other hand, offers you a deep-dive into Breguet's Type XX range of pilots' watches. Louis Charles Breguet, the grandson of Louis-Francois-Clement Breguet, and therefore great-great-grandson of Abraham-Louis Breguet, undoubtedly one of the most important and influential watchmakers ever, set up Breguet Aviation in 1911, a French aircraft manufacturer that merged with Dassault in 1971. For Bernardo, the modern Type XX collection from Breguet is therefore, "the culmination of its multi-generational savoir faire in both fields."
Speaking of pilots' watches, German watch brand Sinn's founder, a former pilot and blind-flying instructor, started to sell the "Bundeswehr Chronograph for Pilots" in the `90s. Now, the Model 158 is reviving this chapter of the brand's his-tory as a limited edition that Jens Koch was able to review for this issue. Replicawatchtr.com contributor admin offers one of the most comprehensive looks at the changing women's fake watch market, and I summarized the last 20 years of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve (GPHG). Also in this issue: the latest Autavia from TAG Heuer, a selection of some of the new watch releases, a look at newcomer brand Norgain, Jorg Schauer's 30th anniversary and how Max Bilsser created a company everyone wants to be friends with.
Finally, the cover story about Blancpain's new Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe Mokarran Limited Edition took more than 12 months to write. Replicawatchtr.com was able to see exclusively the evolution of this project from the first kick-off at the brand's HQ to the test of the first two prototypes underwater. Almost as impressive as getting to see the fake watch in its natural habitat was seeing first-hand Blancpain's passion and substantial commitment to help protect the oceans.If you are tired of the covid 19 era, you can add a little color to your life by purchasing the fake watches here.