Hublot

New CEO Julien Tornare plans to reinforce the brand’s value proposition by investing in bold design, craftsmanship and growing the company’s cultural impact beyond football. “It’s not just because something is luxury that people are willing to pay any price,” Tornare said.

Art Basel Miami Beach has become a cultural tentpole that attracts America’s wealthiest and an evolving art customer base that may prove key in reversing the luxury downturn.

Higher-than-expected export figures fuelled hopes that the industry can avoid a downturn. At LVMH’s Watch Week gathering Miami, the chief executives of Bulgari, TAG Heuer, and Hublot and Zenith spoke to The Business of Fashion about adapting their strategies for an uncertain market.

With a shared platform, the luxury giants aim to fight counterfeiting and improve visibility of the supply chain.

Amplified by a potential power shift from landlords to retailers and the need to seamlessly embed digital, companies will need to make tough choices to improve their return on investments.

From rental programmes to suped-up repair services, the industry’s leaders are working hard to get more profit out of fewer sales.

Claims of the trade war's effects on the industry are not due to tariffs from either country, but because the dispute saps growth prospects in the two largest markets for watches.

Swiss watchmakers are confident they can grow sales this year even in the face of a cooling Chinese economy thanks to strengthening demand elsewhere, executives told Reuters at an industry fair on Thursday.

Swiss watchmakers are starting to see signs of slowing spending from Chinese tourists, but are still banking on demand shifting to mainland China to fuel growth this year, several high-end brands said on Monday.

After falling behind with millennials, the industry tries to secure a future generation of customers via school sponsorships and social media strategies.