Year: 2026

Swatch’s recent collaboration with Audemars Piguet, featuring the $400 Royal Pop watch, seeks to engage younger audiences and elevate brand awareness, albeit amidst some controversy. Critics argue that this venture undermines the exclusivity of the Royal Oak, typically priced over $30,000, with market data reflecting a 3% drop in the average price of Royal Oaks following the collaboration’s launch. Despite traditionalists’ concerns, the initiative promises to funnel profits into scholarships for aspiring watchmakers, highlighting a commitment to the future of horology.

In a successful collaboration, Oris and Bamford Watch Department raised £15,000 for London’s Air Ambulance Charity through the auction of a one-of-a-kind ProPilot Altimater watch at the recent Black & White Gala. Hosted at the Raffles Hotel, the event saw a remarkable total of £1.5 million raised, with Julia Leal Hartogs underscoring the impactful unity of supporters. The unique timepiece, featuring a mechanical altimeter, pays tribute to the city’s emergency rescue teams, ensuring they continue their vital work delivering life-saving trauma care across London.

Fossil Group UK has reported a significant 19% drop in revenue, totaling £31 million for 2024, amidst ongoing challenges in the wholesale market and a strategic exit from the smartwatch segment. Despite the revenue decline, the company returned to operating profit at £452,000, aided by cost-cutting measures and a renewed focus on traditional watch lines and direct-to-consumer sales. CEO Franco Gogiato’s turnaround strategy, which includes collaboration with popular brands like Star Wars, aims to reshape the company’s future after a tough period in the fashion watch industry.

In late 2025, luxury watch brands faced record price increases amid rising material costs and shifting consumer demand. Notably, Rolex maintained its prices while introducing slight increases on gold models, leveraging its controlled supply to balance profit margins. Cartier, after delaying earlier hikes, has now raised prices significantly, with some models seeing increases of up to 8.6%. Meanwhile, IWC took a mixed approach, freezing prices on steel models but hiking gold watch prices for the first time in nearly two years. Several prominent brands, including Audemars Piguet and Omega, opted for stability, holding prices steady amid an increasingly competitive market.

The UK watch retail sector is experiencing a notable shift as monobrand store openings, which surged in 2022, have since declined. Watches of Switzerland Group has closed 28 stores, 15 of which were monobrand locations, as investment strategies pivot towards mega-flagship stores in major global cities. This change reflects a broader trend driven by the concentration of wealth, particularly in America, where luxury brands are now prioritizing larger showrooms over standalone boutiques. The landscape is evolving, with a focus on appealing to affluent customers in prime locations rather than sustaining numerous smaller outlets.

Hublot has launched a captivating documentary showcasing its Xplorations mission on the historic Greek island of Antikythera. This initiative focuses on the ancient Antikythera mechanism, the world’s oldest known astronomical calculator, which has fascinated scholars since its discovery in a Roman shipwreck. The film follows an expedition team, led by Swiss creator Anil Brancaleoni, as they navigate technical dives and use advanced drones to uncover buried artefacts. As Hublot continues to draw inspiration from this remarkable history with its innovative watch designs, the documentary offers a unique glimpse into both the challenges of underwater archaeology and the rich, everyday life of Antikythera’s few residents. Viewers can find the documentary on Hublot’s and Brancaleoni’s YouTube channels.