Wholesale Watches have seen sales on the rise, with exports getting  fresh round of attention lately. Amongst the big winners are the Swiss watch makers, with buyers in all parts of the globe putting their spending towards getting brand names, and bringing those same brands to a new level. What will the experts conclude in the long-term analysis, when the current figures are put to the test?

Swiss watch exports have enjoyed a good start to the year, with sales booming in the USA and Europe, with particularly good sales in France. These sales come at a time when a drop in sales activity at Hong Kong’s biggest marketplace had traders and buyers pausing for a moment to anticipate the worst, and especially at a time when holiday sales would no longer be the fallback on a poor month of earnings.

Swiss sales of luxury watches and related accessories rose over 14% during January, and the numbers represent a substantial gain over figures generated during the same month a year before. In fact, if today’s inflationary figures were to be applied to the gains, there was actually a 16% increase this year.

No bad. But before anyone starts breaking out the bubbly, and celebrating the fact that revenue was on the upswing, let’s take a closer look at what brands were doing the winning, and which styles of watches are in demand in the first place. Since not all watches are really exactly alike in form or function, there will be some differences that stand out in the consumer mind, that should be well noted by those who wish to capture sales in these areas.

With Swatch Group AG, Compagnie Financière Richemont SA, and Rolex being the main stable of producers, there remains a strict loyalty to the companies in Hong Kong, and in other parts of the world where these brands are the first choice for buyers who want fashionable style with a sophisticated touch. However, with sales suffering a recent tumble, the search for markets that can maintain the companies and their expected gains will be a new development in the story, as everyone watches to see what the outcome is.

Experts in the business say that figures are solid, and continue to show promise, according to a recent survey conducted to come up with a few hard numbers to judge the market by. However, the main focus of the companies will continue to be the hunt for a solution to a growing problem of declining sales in Hong Kong, and what can be done sooner, rather than later, to alleviate it.

Some are stating that the Chinese New Year being a bit earlier this year was a source of misinformation on the part of western companies, since they didn’t pay attention to the fact that these numbers would be skewed in favor of the lunar calendar. It’s also been pointed out that the earlier sales racked up during the month of December can be attributed to that same shift in the time line, because of Chinese shoppers and residents of Hong Kong starting their buying activity earlier as well.

Those dealing with Wholesale Watches still expect growth this year of between 6% and 10%, which is down from the 24.1% increase in 2010. As the year progresses with higher comparisons made both online and in the physical world, the smart ones will be betting on wholesalers and suppliers that can get the best price.