Wholesale Designer Rolex Watches: Are They Swiss Enough?

Wholesale watches, designer watches, Rolex watches: the country that comes to mind when any of these phrases are bandied about is Switzerland. The Swiss have dominated the market for designer watches for years, and as companies become ever more multinational, the Swiss luxury watch establishment wants to make sure that a Swiss watch is adequately….Swiss.

Some of the largest Swiss watch manufacturers, of which Rolex watches are undeniably the king, have called out that Swiss watches should have tighter requirements as to what gives them that distinction. Current laws dictate that at least 50% of a watch’s engine, comprising parts such as the winding and setting mechanisms, must be made in Switzerland in order to meet these requirements. As companies continue to outsource manufacturing to areas with lower labor costs, the proportion is becoming more difficult to meet. Wholesale watches often barely make this requirement. This new lobby aims to up this percentage to 60%.

The elitism of the Swiss watch world is no secret. Rolex watches and other Swiss designer watches keep prices high, making sure that they remain as status symbols. The move is not entirely surprising, in this light. However, it is not being accepted universally by the Swiss watch community.

Some smaller Swiss manufacturers feel it is a move by Rolex watches and the other giants to push them out. Sales of wholesale watches and designer watches are already in jeopardy with an unstable economy, and these new requirements will make it difficult for the little guy to keep up.

« Read all articles