Switzerland is responsible for half of the world production of watches. The Swiss watch industry is present on the five continents.
Last year the first markets of Switzerland were Hong Kong, USA, China, Japan, and Qatar was at the 18th place. All major brands of Swiss watches in all price categories are available in Qatar through a network of authorized dealers.
“Switzerland and Qatar are enjoying long-standing and friendly relations. Like Qatar, Switzerland is a small country in terms of area and population. And like Qatar again, in terms of trading, Switzerland is among the medium-sized economies and important exporter in the world. Swiss products and specially Swiss watches are renowned worldwide for high quality, innovation and precision,” said Jean-Daniel Pasche, President of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH in a message sent during the Switzerland National Day celebrations held recently.
Watchmaking has a long tradition in Switzerland. This industry first appeared in Geneva in the middle of the 16th century. Today, the creation of watches represents a key sector of the Swiss economy and largely contributes to the country’s exports. Watches are Switzerland’s main export item after machinery, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. The watch industry was employing more than 55,000 persons in 2018.
“A side effect of the worldwide success and prestige of Swiss watches is the unwanted phenomenon of counterfeiting. The protection of the label Swiss made is a constant effort of the Swiss Government and the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. The fight against counterfeiting is one of the major activity of the Federation. Its actions in this field have allowed to seize about 1.9 million false watches across the world in 2017 with the help of the countries concerned,” said Pasche
“The ultimate objective is to increase public awareness to the problem and to encourage consumers to purchase original products which provide genuine technology and quality standards in accordance with the designation Swiss made,” Pasche added.
A selection of luxury Swiss watches and jewellery were on showcase during the National Day celebrations in Doha.
“The watch which is a product often given as a gift can be a jewel of high value as well as a fashion accessory. The watch industry is made up of many companies detaining a multitude of brands active in all categories of prices, technologies and designs. Its exceptional dynamism and creative power makes it a leader in the world as well as in the mechanical technology which requires production and assembling of more than 300 components per watch as in the quartz technology known for its extreme precision,” said Pasche.
