Late to the Party

From augmented-reality filters that let you “try on” watches to virtual sales assistants offering up-to-date advice, today’s use of technology by watchmakers is striking for an industry that has famously clung to tradition. Even before the coronavirus outbreak, high-end watchmakers were struggling, particularly towards the end of last year after months of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, which is an important market for Swiss timekeepers. So when governments imposed Covid-19 lockdown measures just a few months later, the brakes were well and truly put on “Swiss Made” watchmakers everywhere.

For Giles