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The last appointment of the year with the Special Orologi del Sole 24 Ore is for Thursday 23 November: in free association with the newspaper, readers will find a 42-page issue, the largest and most complete in recent years. Inside, contributions from Gruppo 24 Ore watch editor Paco Guarnaccia and other industry experts, as well as in-depth analysis by the Moda editorial team of Il Sole 24 Ore. The world of hands – and fine watchmaking in particular – experienced a positive year, which further strengthened the post-Covid rebound that occurred starting from the second half of 2021.
In the Special we start from the numbers and first and foremost from those of Swiss made watches, which represent 90% of the world market for fine watchmaking: month after month, exports have strengthened in quantity and value. But there is also data from the financial statements for the first nine months of the large high-end listed groups, LVMH, Richemont and Kering, and the analyzes of consultancy firms such as Bain & Company. The slowdown in luxury as a whole, which went from a double-digit sprint to a single-digit race, is confirmed for hard luxury (high jewelery and watches), but at the same time the data shows a greater resilience of watches and jewelery compared to accessories and clothing, almost certainly due to the perception of greater intrinsic value.
In the Special there are also company cases: CEOs and creative directors illustrate the stages that have marked 2023 and the plans for 2024 and beyond. The complexity of the sector is also explained by the evolution of physical distribution, with articles on the main Italian retailers, and by international fairs and auctions, to which the Special dedicates, as always, great attention. There is no shortage of showcases, that is, four pages of new products divided into categories – precious, contemporary, complicated and sports watches – of brands that have made the history of watchmaking and beyond: the dynamism of the world of hands is confirmed by the birth of new maisons in the different segments, including high range. And after the Special on 23 November, there is another appointment for enthusiasts: on 1 December the new issue of 24 Hours will be on newsstands, the quarterly magazine of the 24 Ore Group which completes the information offering on this fascinating sector.