The exhibition Baselworld, which unites the largest and most prestigious brands in the world, began its work on March 19 and will last a whole week - until March 26. More than 4,000 world media representatives, daily newspapers, magazines, specialized publications, major TV channels, will contribute to the creation of an unprecedented global information background, emphasizing the leading position of the exhibition of the watch and jewelry industry.
René Kamm, CEO of the MCH Group, thanked participants and the press for their contribution to "creating a unique global information background, which underscores the important position of the Baselworld exhibition in the watch and jewelry industries."
"This position needs to be relentlessly defended, therefore Baselworld is always moving forward, improving its advantage and influence with each passing year, and never ceasing to innovate to meet ever-growing demands," added Ms Sylvie Ritter, managing director of Baselworld.
Each year, more than 1,500 brands from 40 countries, more than 150,000 visitors and 4,000 press representatives come to Switzerland - the main platform for demonstrating innovation.
Commenting on Swiss watch exports, Mr. François Thiébaud, President of the Committee of Swiss Exhibitors, noted that 2014 ended on a more complex note and that this was a year of high consolidation for the Swiss watch industry.
But despite the difficulties, the export of Swiss watches showed growth with an increase of 1.9% compared to 2013, reaching an index of 22.2 billion Swiss francs.
Francois Thibaut stressed that the watchmaking industry in Switzerland is "extremely strong". In 2014, Swiss manufacturers sold 28 million hours, 16.5 million mechanical and 4.41 million quartz. The most popular price range, showing the greatest growth, was the range of 200-500 Swiss francs.
Speaking about world markets, François Thibault pointed out that Asia still holds a leading position with a figure of 53%. The United States for the past year showed an increase of 6.2%; China, on the contrary, showed a decline in growth of 3.1%; Hong Kong - 0%; its index surprised Japan, adding 15%; in Italy the growth was 0.5%.
December 2014 was a difficult month for Switzerland. Crisis impact also affected the production of watches, when the Swiss central bank released control of the retention rate and the Swiss franc fell by 20%; while no one was willing to raise prices for their goods. Nevertheless, January 2015 showed a promising start - exports this month reached 1.6 billion francs, which is 3.7% more than in January 2013.
The first exhibition "Schweizer Mustermesse MUBA" in Basel, which featured a special section for watches and jewelery, dates back to 1917. The official name of the Baselworld exhibition was received only in 2003, underscoring its position as the main world event in the luxury goods industry.