Swiss watch industry: view from inside

Abstract

External indicators of success enjoyed by Swiss watches in the world are highly recognized and do not need additional advertising. The article attempts to examine the internal components of the success, so called “ins and outs” of the sector. The article provides a fairly thorough description of the place and role of the watch industry in the economy and Switzerland’s exports. The latest statistical information on the total number of enterprises and employees in the sector, as well as the structure of the national watch industry on specific areas of business and forms of organization of production activities are presented. The recent data on the most important centers of watchmaking in the confederation is given. Besides, the author analyzes the company structure of the Swiss watch industry. Herein the information about the main watch consortiums in the country, their key production units, as well as the data on the main financial performance is provided.