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The watch world looks set to come out strong post-pandemic

Alright, so the world has spent the best part of two years being turned upside down in ways none of us ever expected. But what has all this global turmoil meant, I hear you ask, for the watch market?

When the first lockdowns came, the industry was worried, like we all were. When factories closed, of course production slowed down. But now that business has for a while been cranking back towards full speed, it looks like the pandemic may even, dare we say it, have been good for business. Here are three silver linings in the COVID cloud.

A boost in demand. Nobody really needs a watch, let alone a collection of watches. So you’d think that as tough times hit, people would cut back on luxuries and concentrate on necessities. Not a bit of it. The bleaker the times, the more people want to cheer themselves up. As soon as the watch factories opened up, they found order books full.

Online sales. The watch market, particularly at the luxury end, has been slow to embrace e-commerce. They figured that somebody spending car money on a watch deserves the full boutique experience and the right to touch before they buy. It is still the preferred way of doing business for most brands, but the pandemic has sharpened their focus. They have finally realised that if people are prepared to buy expensive watches on the internet, it seems like a curious business decision to refuse their bank details.

A sense of adventure. The watch industry has always been keen to associate itself with anyone who runs, climbs or swims as fast, high and far as humanly possible. But this last year of soaring sales has seen more watches than ever that are designed for vigorous outdoor pursuits. So while our ability to actually go out and do stuff has taken a hit, our desire for watches that make us think about adventure has apparently grown.

There are more than enough new adventure watches to fill every page of this magazine and most of the others on the shelf. Here is a carefully curated selection: one for driving; one for diving; one for climbing; and one designed for a bit of light soldiering. Thankfully no watch comes with any obligation to take part in the activity it was designed for. That’s the beauty of the watch market – they can still sell adventures, no matter what is happening with the rest of the world.