Stargazing

Take Zenith, for example, which has repositioned itself from a luxury-centred, wow- factor brand to offering pieces that are more accessible, still of high quality, but at the right price points. For 2010, the company focused on revamping one of its proudest achievements, the El Primero movement, by taking away the most excessive design features of its previous models and zeroing in on balance and readability.
With maturity comes stability. While 2009 will be remembered as a year of drastic change, 2010 will likely be known as the year of persistence. Those who persevere will remain, and those who have not thought out their long-term strategies will have to deal with the consequences. Large conglomerates like the Swatch Group are already benefiting from their meticulous planning, of which product diversity and industrial strength are key components. Compared to the entire Swiss watch industry, whose exports declined by 22.3 percent, the group fared better, down only by 5.5 percent. The group also announced a 29 percent increase in sales in December 2009, while other companies were still in negative territory.