watches segment, following the previous-year decline in sales which was primarily attributable to high inventories held by third-party purchasers.
The Executive Group Management Board and the Board of Directors are very confident with regard to the second half of the current year. Provided currency relations remain stable, the negative impact on thefull-year results could level off further, giving rise to clthe possibility of a new record high for Group sales.
Excluding the impact of external factors such as exogenous shocks or radical shifts in currency markets over which the Group has no influence, the Executive Group Management Board anticipates continued positive business development.
Largest finished watches producer Swatch Group Ltd is in Biel (Switzerland) today the largest producer and distributor of finished watches in the world. In terms of sales (in Swiss francs) the Swatch Group represents some 25% of the watch production sales in the world.