Robin Swithinbank

London

Freelance Journalist at Freelance

Writer. Editor. Content guy. As seen in New York Times, FT, Telegraph, GQ, Traveller, Vanity Fair, Harrods, Robb Report, The Road Rat

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Articles

Is the Secondary Watch Market Turning a Corner?

2 weeks ago | businessoffashion.com | Robin Swithinbank

Amid the doom and gloom of luxury watch sales, a bright spot? After three years of continuous decline, prices of pre-owned watches appear to have bottomed out. And with prices of new watches still rising, second-hand retailers are now eyeing an uptick in sales. It may already be happening. In its annual report, published last month, Richemont cited “double-digit growth” at its specialist pre-owned watch retailer WatchFinder.
Oct. 10 Is Declared Watch World Day

2 weeks ago | nytimes.com | Robin Swithinbank

Nine organizations join forces to designate Oct. 10 as World Watch Day. There are designated days to celebrate introverts, search and rescue dogs, letter writing and much more. Now there is a day for watches, too. The first World Watch Day is scheduled on Oct. 10, a date chosen because watch hands are traditionally set to 10 past 10 in photographs.
How to Revive a Sleeping Beauty Watch Brand

3 weeks ago | businessoffashion.com | Robin Swithinbank

The dormant Danish watch company Urban Jürgensen was “resurrected” in Los Angeles on Thursday following a $25 million revamp that its US backers hope will land it a seat at luxury watchmaking’s top table inside five years. Acquired by a group of investors led by the American Rosenfield family in 2021 for an undisclosed sum, Urban Jürgensen was originally founded in Copenhagen in 1773 and is revered by watch connoisseurs and collectors. But outside that bubble, the name is largely unknown.
Can Swiss Watches Compete on Value?

1 month ago | businessoffashion.com | Robin Swithinbank

With the price of gold soaring, the Swiss franc still trading high and US tariffs looming, luxury watch companies are facing a growing problem: Watch prices keep rising. That consumers have become more price sensitive and value conscious amid a downturn in overall luxury spending and growing competition from rival luxury categories only compounds the issue. Can luxury watches still compete?
half a century (and a bit) of the Porsche 911 Turbo

1 month ago | spearswms.com | Robin Swithinbank

So let's deal with some awkward dates first. Last year, to mark half a century of one of the greatest cars ever made, Porsche introduced the 911 Turbo 50 Years. It said it would make 1,974 of them, for reasons that won't need explaining, and that the car would carry a 3.7-litre flat-six capable of kicking out 650hp, delivering the sort of performance that would invert your spleen. At £200k-plus, it was a fine way to celebrate an automotive icon.
Soaring gold prices test mettle of luxury watch brands

1 month ago | businessandamerica.com | Robin Swithinbank

After a year of soaring gold prices, makers of luxury watches have been left with a heavy precious metal headache. Where a year ago procurement teams were buying gold at about $2,300 an ounce, now the figure is around $3,300 an ounce, a 40 per cent increase. With stock markets still volatile, few analysts are forecasting a correction. Luxury watch companies are reliant on sales of gold watches.
Soaring gold prices test mettle of luxury watch brands

1 month ago | ft.com | Robin Swithinbank

After a year of soaring gold prices, makers of luxury watches have been left with a heavy precious metal headache.
Geopolitical and macroeconomic factors spell uncertainty for luxury sector

1 month ago | spearswms.com | Robin Swithinbank

Luxury goods brands face headwinds caused by the global political and economic climate that may narrow the sector's consumer base, according to a panel of experts gathered at Spear's 500 Live 2025 on 7 May. 'Last year was uncertain and now there's even more uncertainty: the only thing that's certain is uncertainty,' said Ming Liu, watch and jewellery journalist who contributes to titles including the New York Times, HTSI and Robb Report Monaco.
Why Trump’s Tariffs Should Make Brands Take Value Seriously

2 months ago | watchpro.com | Robin Swithinbank

Perhaps we were all kidding ourselves, but it seems we all thought it. Even in the days before President Trump entrapped the world’s economy with Liberation Day, the watch industry appeared confident it would be immune to tariffs. What possible justification could there be for punitive taxes on a foreign industry that has no US domestic rival, and that creates thousands of jobs and drives many, many beautiful millions of dollars into the US economy? Right?
Has Watchmaking’s Direct-to-consumer Model Had Its Day?

2 months ago | watchpro.com | Robin Swithinbank

Rolex’s new temple on London’s Bond Street is a seriously impressive space. Four storeys of green and gold grandeur, more than 7,000 square feet of space for moochers and GMT-Masters, and even the offer of an exclusive green-coloured cocktail for those prepared to climb the stairs to the first floor (yes, yes, there’s a lift, too). It will, no doubt, be a whopping great success.