The main materials were affected. Steel was just a few poi nts lower, while the category of other materials and that of other metals experienced a more difficult month.
The segments below 3, 000 francs (export price) reported a fall in February. Volumes of watches selling for less than 200 francs were 18.7% lower.
Sales in the 200-500 francs range were only a few points lower. Between 500 and 3,000 francs, the reduction was in the region of -10%. Only watches selling at more than 3,000 francs performed positively, but only just. The decline tended to affect the markets of the Far East more than others.
The value of sales to Hong Kong and China fell steeply against February 2012. The United States slowed slightly but continued to grow. In Europe, the situation remained favourable for most markets, apart from France which was down by 11.7%. Several Asian markets also reported growth, notably Singapore, Japan and the Middle East; the latter proved very dynamic.
