Skip to main content
BoF Logo

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Swatch Plans to Start Selling Sunglasses to Boost Product Lineup

Swatch Group plans to start selling sunglasses under its namesake brand as soon as this year, a diversification from its main business of Swiss watches as that industry faces one of its most challenging years.
By
  • Bloomberg

GENEVA, Switzerland — Swatch Group AG plans to start selling sunglasses under its namesake brand as soon as this year, a diversification from its main business of Swiss watches as that industry faces one of its most challenging years.

A collection called Swatch Eyes will probably be Italian made, and will be better than the glasses the brand tried selling in the 1990s as Swatch now has improved its distribution, Chief Executive Officer Nick Hayek said by phone Thursday. The glasses would be sold in 900 locations, including Swatch shops, as well as Hengdeli and Rivoli stores in Asia and the Middle East.

The Swiss watch industry is facing Apple Inc.’s imminent introduction of a smartwatch as luxury consumption in China, the biggest market for Swiss watches, extends a two-year slump. The franc has surged 14 percent against the euro this year, damping earnings from sales made abroad.

Swatch is still hiring in Switzerland, Hayek said. Last year, the company added 770 jobs in its home country.

By Jan Schwalbe, Thomas Mulier; editors: Matthew Boyle, Paul Jarvis.

In This Article

© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from News & Analysis
Fashion News, Analysis and Business Intelligence from the leading digital authority on the global fashion industry.
view more

Subscribe to the BoF Daily Digest

The essential daily round-up of fashion news, analysis, and breaking news alerts.

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
CONNECT WITH US ON
BoF Professional - How to Turn Data Into Meaningful Customer Connections
© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy and Accessibility Statement.
BoF Professional - How to Turn Data Into Meaningful Customer Connections