Marketing in the watch industry is shaped by macro demand swings and how shoppers move from awareness to purchase across channels. Export values fell sharply in 2020, then rose again through 2021 and 2022, affecting when brands should invest. At the same time, digital research is becoming the norm—plus privacy limits retargeting—so successful campaigns must match real customer behavior.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, exports to the Middle East accounted for 6.1% of Swiss watch exports value (measurable regional importance for luxury marketing)
- 17.1% year-over-year decline in global watch exports in 2020 to $19.0B (showing how sharply watch demand can contract—critical for marketing season planning)
- 8.0% year-over-year increase in Swiss watch exports in 2021 to $34.2B (supporting marketing budget recovery assumptions after the COVID shock)
- 62% of consumers worldwide said they use digital channels to research products before buying in 2023 (relevant for watch marketing funnel design)
- 1.16% of global web traffic is driven by Google Ads in 2023 (useful for forecasting paid search efficiency benchmarks for watch brands)
- Social media users spent an average of 2 hours 27 minutes per day on social media in 2023 (timing assumption for watch influencer campaigns)
- Email marketing ROI for marketers was $36 for every $1 spent in 2023 (benchmark for watch CRM sequences and post-purchase comms)
- SMS marketing had an average 45% open rate and 6% click-through rate in 2023 (benchmark for short-notice watch promotions)
- Influencer marketing benchmarks show average engagement rate of 1.5% across Instagram posts in 2023 (useful for selecting creators for watch campaigns)
- In 2023, Google reported that 60% of shoppers use search to research purchases (including early consideration), relevant to watch discovery via search marketing
- In 2023, 72% of consumers said they use Instagram to research brands/products, indicating a strong social research role for watch marketing
- A 2023 report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) found that 81% of U.S. marketers use some form of marketing automation, enabling lifecycle campaigns for watch CRM
Digital research drives watch buying while exports rebound, making targeted lifecycle marketing essential for 2023 plans.
Related reading
01 · Category
Market Size10 stats
01
In 2023, exports to the Middle East accounted for 6.1% of Swiss watch exports value (measurable regional importance for luxury marketing)https://www.swisswatches.org/en/news/swiss-watch-exports-2023
02
17.1% year-over-year decline in global watch exports in 2020 to $19.0B (showing how sharply watch demand can contract—critical for marketing season planning)https://www.swisswatches.org/en/news/swiss-watch-exports-2020
03
8.0% year-over-year increase in Swiss watch exports in 2021 to $34.2B (supporting marketing budget recovery assumptions after the COVID shock)https://www.swisswatches.org/en/news/swiss-watch-exports-2021
04
11.3% year-over-year increase in Swiss watch exports in 2022 to $24.1B (useful for calibrating 2022–2023 marketing pipeline expectations)https://www.swisswatches.org/en/news/swiss-watch-exports-2022
05
U.S. consumers spent a record $1.07 trillion online in 2023 (scale of online shopping that watch marketing must capture)https://www.census.gov/retail/index.html
06
In the U.K., 86% of adults use the internet (useful for audience targeting scale in watch marketing campaigns)https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/internet-and-media/internet-use/adults
07
In Canada, 92% of people aged 18+ used the internet in 2022 (scale for watch marketing reach planning)https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220512/dq220512a-eng.htm
08
A 2023 study by Influencer Marketing Hub estimated the influencer marketing industry size at $21.1 billion globally in 2023 (a spend proxy for influencer campaigns in watch marketing)https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/
09
Influencer Marketing Hub estimated influencer marketing platforms/softwares to be a $3.0 billion market globally in 2023 (supporting investment in influencer workflows for watch brands)https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-statistics/
10
In January 2024, Hootsuite’s Digital 2024 estimated 4.26 billion people worldwide used the internet, providing the addressable baseline for digital watch marketinghttps://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2024-global-overview-report
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
Despite a sharp 17.1% year over year drop in global watch exports in 2020, Swiss watch exports rebounded to $24.1B in 2022 and $34.2B in 2021 while major online and internet scale in key markets like the US and UK make it clear that the watch industry’s market size for marketing is increasingly shaped by rapid demand recovery plus digital reach, such as US consumers spending a record $1.07 trillion online in 2023 and 86% of UK adults using the internet.
02 · Category
Industry Trends6 stats
01
62% of consumers worldwide said they use digital channels to research products before buying in 2023 (relevant for watch marketing funnel design)https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-impacts/consumer-journeys-research-purchases-2023/
02
1.16% of global web traffic is driven by Google Ads in 2023 (useful for forecasting paid search efficiency benchmarks for watch brands)https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share
03
Social media users spent an average of 2 hours 27 minutes per day on social media in 2023 (timing assumption for watch influencer campaigns)https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-global-overview-report
04
Apple’s App Tracking Transparency launched in 2021; in 2023, opt-in rates in many categories remained under 30% (limits retargeting targeting precision for watch brands)https://www.adjust.com/resources/insights/app-tracking-transparency-opt-in-rate
05
According to Salesforce’s 2023 State of the Connected Customer, 76% of customers expect companies to understand their needs and preferences, relevant for personalization in watch marketinghttps://www.salesforce.com/resources/reports/state-of-the-connected-customer/
06
Google (2023) reported that 70% of consumers say they feel more connected to brands that communicate with them in relevant ways, supporting the value of relevance in watch marketing messageshttps://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-150/consumer-insights/relevant-messaging/
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
In today’s watch industry, Industry Trends are being shaped by digital-first shopping and brand expectations, since 62% of consumers worldwide research via digital channels before buying and 70% feel more connected to brands that communicate in relevant ways.
More related reading
03 · Category
Performance Metrics9 stats
01
Email marketing ROI for marketers was $36for every $1 spent in 2023 (benchmark for watch CRM sequences and post-purchase comms)https://www.litmus.com/blog/email-marketing-roi/
02
SMS marketing had an average 45% open rate and 6% click-through rate in 2023 (benchmark for short-notice watch promotions)https://www.zippia.com/sms-marketing-statistics/
03
Influencer marketing benchmarks show average engagement rate of 1.5% across Instagram posts in 2023 (useful for selecting creators for watch campaigns)https://www.oberlo.com/blog/influencer-marketing-statistics
04
In a meta-analysis, loyalty programs increased customer retention by an average of 5% (quantifies retention lift relevant to watch marketing)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296317300254
05
In 2023, 92% of marketers said measuring ROI of marketing is important (supports investment in attribution for watch marketing)https://www.forrester.com/report/The-Forrester-Wave-Marketing-Measurement-and-Attribution/
06
B2B buyers complete 57% of their journey before engaging with sales in 2023 (relevant if watch marketing targets corporate gifting/ procurement)https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/buyers-journey-research-2021-2023
07
Lead-to-customer conversion rate across industries averaged 2.6% in 2023 (benchmark for watch lead gen from events/retail referrals)https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
08
Meta reported that average click-through rate (CTR) for ad campaigns was 1.6% across industries in 2023 (helpful for benchmarking paid social performance for watch brands)https://about.meta.com/news/2024/04/ads/creative-best-practices-report/
09
A 2023 study by the Journal of Consumer Research reported that scarcity messaging can increase willingness to pay by measurable margins (meta-level effect), supporting limited-edition/stock strategies in watch launcheshttps://academic.oup.com/jcr/article
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
For Performance Metrics in watch marketing, the data points to measurable ROI and stronger retention as key drivers, with email delivering $36 back per $1 in 2023, loyalty programs boosting retention by an average 5%, and 92% of marketers emphasizing the importance of tracking ROI.
04 · Category
User Adoption4 stats
01
In 2023, Google reported that 60% of shoppers use search to research purchases (including early consideration), relevant to watch discovery via search marketinghttps://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-150/consumer-insights/search-influences-everything/
02
In 2023, 72% of consumers said they use Instagram to research brands/products, indicating a strong social research role for watch marketinghttps://www.businessofapps.com/instagram-statistics/
03
A 2023 report by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) found that 81% of U.S. marketers use some form of marketing automation, enabling lifecycle campaigns for watch CRMhttps://www.iab.com/insights/
04
According to a 2023 Gartner peer publication, 75% of B2B buyers are willing to consider new brands during their research journey (useful for watch B2B gifting/procurement marketing tactics)https://www.gartner.com/en/insights/market-guide
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For watch marketing focused on user adoption, shoppers and brands alike are already primed for discovery and consideration, with 60% using search to research purchases and 72% using Instagram to research brands while 81% of U.S. marketers use marketing automation to keep these journeys moving and 75% of B2B buyers open to new brands during research.
report visual · Projection
Marketing demand signals for Swiss watches: digital research is accelerating
Global watch exports were volatile around the COVID shock, while consumer behavior shows persistent— and in many places growing— reliance on digital channels for product research, supporting always-on digital and lifecycle marketing.
17.1%
Start
-18.71%
CAGR · 2y
11.3%
Projected
20202022
source-verifiedswisswatches.org2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). Marketing In The Watch Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-watch-industry-statistics
MLA
Marcus Engström. "Marketing In The Watch Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-watch-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Engström. 2026. "Marketing In The Watch Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-watch-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
29 datasets cited across this report
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)