Swiss Watch Exports Regain Stability in May 2026

Swiss watch exports reached CHF 2.105 billion in May 2026, a 0.4% increase over the same month last year, according to figures from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. The result helped narrow the cumulative year-to-date decline to 3.1% through the first five months of 2026.

Wristwatches, which make up the large majority of the sector's export value, generated CHF 2.013 billion in May, up 0.6% in value. Volume told a different story: 1.16 million units shipped, a 1.2% decline, suggesting the value gain was driven more by pricing and product mix than by unit growth.

Trade coverage described May as offering the Swiss watch industry "a new lease on life" after a difficult start to the year, though the modest scale of the gain means it only partially offsets losses recorded earlier in 2026.

The month-to-month volatility across Q1 and Q2 2026 underscores how sensitive Swiss export figures remain to currency swings, tariff base effects, and regional demand shifts, making single-month headlines an unreliable guide to the underlying trend on their own.