With the market adjusting to the end of the pandemic-era boom, it’s women’s watches that are leading the charge when it comes to genuinely imaginative timepieces.

Swiss watch exports, regarded as the barometer of the industry’s health, declined in February for the first time in two years. This was mostly attributed to falls in demand in China and Hong Kong, down 25 per cent and 19 per cent respectively. Australia is still up marginally (6 per cent) on last year, but the signs are there. Customers satisfied their urge to splurge during COVID-19 and are now facing cost pressures.