Watch & Strap Statistics 2026: 38 Data Points

The global watch market in 2026

According to the Statista Market Forecast for 2026, the global watches market is expected to generate US$135.63 billion in revenue. The same Statista forecast projects a compound annual growth rate of 5.62% over the 2026 to 2031 period, pointing to steady expansion rather than a boom-or-bust cycle.

The installed base is far larger than any single year of sales. In its 2023 ChronoPulse press release, Chrono24 estimated the total value of all watches in the world at US$748 billion. That same release described the scale of its own marketplace, with roughly 540,000 watches listed and 25 million monthly users across 150 countries, which gives a sense of how active the secondary market for watches has become.

Swiss exports: a market under pressure

The Swiss industry, which anchors the high end of the market, had a softer 2024. According to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) data for 2024, total Swiss watch exports reached CHF 26.0 billion, a decline of 2.8% versus 2023, while export volume fell to 15.3 million units, down 9.4%. The SWI swissinfo.ch report on the same figures put the 2024 export value at CHF 25.9 billion, or about US$28.5 billion.

The pain was concentrated in Asia. The FH 2024 data shows Swiss watch exports to China down 25.8% and exports to Hong Kong down 18.7%. The United States was the bright spot, becoming the leading Swiss watch export market with a 5.0% increase over 2023.

The contraction continued, but eased, in 2025. According to Monochrome Watches, citing FH data, 2025 Swiss watch exports totaled CHF 25.552 billion, a milder decline of 1.7% versus 2024, on volume of 14,599,154 wristwatches, down 4.8%. The same source notes that watches priced over CHF 3,000 slipped 1.9% in 2025 while budget Swiss watches under CHF 500 fell 4.5%, showing the squeeze was felt hardest at the entry level.

Smartwatches: the first decline, then recovery in users

The smart end of the market had a notable year in 2024. According to Counterpoint Research data reported via Gigazine, global smartwatch shipments fell 7% year on year in 2024, the first ever annual decline for the category. Brand fortunes diverged sharply within that drop. Apple held a 22% global smartwatch market share but saw its own shipments fall 19% year on year, while Huawei grew to a 13% share, up 35%, and Samsung held 9%. Xiaomi was the standout, with shipment growth of 135% year on year for an 8% share.

User counts, by contrast, kept climbing. According to Statista figures cited by DemandSage, the number of global smartwatch users reached 562.86 million in 2025, up from 454.69 million in 2024. The same source put global smartwatch market revenue at US$47.94 billion in 2024.

Who wears wearables: adoption and demographics

Wearable ownership in the United States has grown dramatically. According to the Rock Health 2025 Consumer Adoption Survey, 46% of US adults now own a wearable device, up from just 13% in 2015, and 57% own at least one wearable or connected health device. Engagement is high among owners: the same survey found that 83% of wearable owners wear their device five or more days per week, and ownership is now split almost evenly by gender at 58% of women versus 57% of men.

Earlier benchmarks show how far adoption has moved. According to Pew Research Center data reported via PPAI in 2019, 21% of US adults regularly wore a smart watch or fitness tracker, with use rising to 31% among households earning $75,000 or more versus 12% among those earning under $30,000, and 25% of women versus 18% of men.

Wearables have also become a primary health tool. According to an Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center survey reported via KOTA TV in 2026, smartwatches are the most common tool Americans use to track heart health, cited by 32% of respondents. The same survey found that only 25%, or one in four, of heart-monitoring device users share that data with their doctor.

The strap and band market, and who is buying

The accessory layer that this site covers is a sizable market in its own right. According to IndexBox, the global watch straps, bands, and bracelets market was worth US$33.9 billion on a volume of 174 million units in 2024, and IndexBox projects that market to reach US$42.6 billion by 2035, on a value CAGR of 2.1% and a volume CAGR of 1.9%. A growing installed base of watches and smartwatches is exactly what keeps demand for replacement bands rising, which is why matching the right band to the right use case, such as a ventilated ZULUDIVER FKM Rubber Dive Strap for genuine dive and water use, is a decision more owners are making every year.

Buyer demographics are shifting younger. According to the Chrono24 and YouGov First-Time Buyer Report from 2024, 26% of adults in Germany own or have considered a luxury watch, split 33% among men versus 19% among women, while 36% of Gen Z respondents aged 18 to 24 own or are considering one. The same report found that design was the single most important factor when buying a first luxury watch, named by 50% of respondents, with movement quality and brand close behind at 48% each.

Sources

Statista Market Forecast, Watches Worldwide, 2026: https://www.statista.com/outlook/cmo/accessories/watches-jewelry/watches/worldwide (global watches market revenue and projected CAGR).

Chrono24, ChronoPulse press release, 2023: https://about.chrono24.com/en/press/chrono24-unveils-chronopulse-the-first-luxury-watch-market-index-founded-on-real-transaction-data-as-it-celebrates-20-years (estimated total value of all watches in the world and Chrono24 marketplace scale).

Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH), 2024 statistics: https://www.fhs.swiss/eng/2025_01_30_00_statistics.html (Swiss watch exports value, value change, volume, China and Hong Kong changes, and the United States as the leading market).

SWI swissinfo.ch, Watch exports down 2.8% in 2024: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/swiss-made/watch-exports-down-2-8-in-2024/88801991 (Swiss watch exports value in USD).

Monochrome Watches, citing FH data, 2025: https://monochrome-watches.com/swiss-watch-exports-down-2-percent-to-chf-25-billion-in-2025-mild-contraction-amid-challenging-times/ (Swiss watch exports value and volume for 2025, plus the over CHF 3,000 and sub CHF 500 segment changes).

Counterpoint Research, via Gigazine, 2024: https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20250312-global-smartwatch-shipments-declines-2024/ (global smartwatch shipment decline and the Apple, Huawei, Samsung, and Xiaomi share figures).

Statista, via DemandSage, 2024 to 2025: https://www.demandsage.com/smartwatch-statistics/ (global smartwatch users and smartwatch market revenue).

Pew Research Center, via PPAI, 2019: https://www.ppai.org/media-hub/pew-research-study-reveals-trends-in-smart-watches-fitness-trackers/ (US wearable use overall and by income and gender).

Rock Health 2025 Consumer Adoption Survey: https://rockhealth.com/insights/whats-your-score-insights-on-wearables-and-connected-devices-from-rock-healths-2025-consumer-adoption-survey/ (US wearable and connected health device ownership, wear frequency, and ownership by gender).

Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center survey, via KOTA TV, 2026: https://www.kotatv.com/2026/01/04/most-americans-use-heartmonitoring-devices-dont-share-data-with-doctors-survey-shows/ (most common heart-health tracking tool and data-sharing rate).

IndexBox, 2024 and 2035 projection: https://www.indexbox.io/blog/bracelet-world-market-overview-2024/ (global watch straps, bands, and bracelets market value, volume, and projection).

Chrono24 and YouGov First-Time Buyer Report, 2024: https://about.chrono24.com/en/press/first-time-buyer-report-part-1-luxury-watch-survey-what-makes-first-time-buyers-tick (luxury watch ownership and consideration overall and by gender, Gen Z consideration, and first-purchase decision factors).