A few months ago, it was thought that watches were heading out of fashion. More and more people were using technological items such as mobile phones that they always carried with them to tell the time instead of using a normal timepiece.
However, like with any fashions, there are going to be periods where things fall out of favour, and what may have seemed like an easy and cheaper option in not buying new wristwatches has quickly turned around, and we are now seeing people remember than such items are as much for aesthetic purposes as they are practical ones.
After all, a watch is a great piece of jewellery and, especially for men, it is actually one of the most important pieces of jewellery they can wear. Whilst sales may have started off slow at the beginning of last year, by the end of it it seemed that more and more people were regretting shunning them, and by the end of the year many watch manufacturers had seen their profits grow, some as much as 35%, from the previous year.
In fact, in December with sales down for almost all other industries, the run up to Christmas saw the highest December figures in more than a decade as more and more people rushed out to get watches for their loved ones who realised they missed having one dearly.
So, whilst they may have fallen out of favour briefly, they humble wristwatch is very much not dead. And in fact, for many, the next year may see them being more in fashion than they ever have been before. With Swiss watch exports expected to be at an all time high in 2011, it is fair to say that whilst they may well have been ill for a little while, they have made a full recovery, got the all clear and don’t look in danger of dying for a long, long time to come.