Here’s What You Need to Know
If you’ve been eyeing that Rolex Submariner or dreaming about finally pulling the trigger on a Royal Oak, you might want to move fast 🏃♂️. Things are about to get real interesting (and not in a good way) for Swiss watches in the U.S. 😬
President Trump just signed Executive Order 14308, slapping a 39% tariff on all Swiss imports ⚠️. That’s up from the 31% they were tossing around back in April during Watches & Wonders. This thing goes live August 7, and yeah - it’s gonna sting 💥
Let’s put it in perspective: In 2024 alone, the U.S. imported over $6 billion worth of watches from brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, AP, and Omega 🧭. This certainly isn’t a small tweak. Buying watches in the USA has just gotten way less lucrative and interesting 📉. Paired with the overall increase in prices of watches, this doesn’t really look like the greatest year for watch sales in general.
Why the tariff? The official line is that Switzerland didn’t offer “sufficient reciprocity” in trade talks. What that really means is... politics 🎭. The fallout? Retailers are freaking out, brands are weighing their options, and buyers like us are left wondering if prices are about to skyrocket 🚀
Now, some brands might try shifting production outside of Switzerland to dodge the tax - but doing that risks losing the iconic (and for many buyers necessary) “Swiss Made” stamp ❌🇨🇭. Others might eat the cost, but that’ll hit their profits hard. And with full honesty, they’re probably just gonna pass it on to us 💸
Meanwhile, countries like Germany and Singapore are still in the 10-15% tariff range, which could shift the whole global pricing game 🌐
So, is now the time to buy? Well... yeah ✅. If you’ve been on the fence, consider this your sign. Because come August 7, that dream watch might suddenly feel a lot more out of reach ⏳
