Sales volume of watches and fine jewelry in France under pressure in 2025

The French watch and jewelry industry reported on Thursday a decline in sales volumes last year. However, sales increased due to higher metal prices.

“The creative sectors of the French watch and jewelry industry were spared neither from the general economic uncertainties nor from the sometimes unpredictable developments of tariffs in the United States,” the report says.

Last year, sales of watches and fine jewelry in France rose slightly by one percent to 5.9 billion euros. “The market is thus stabilizing at a high level of activity and is now around 50 percent above the base of four billion euros from 2019,” explains the French committee Francéclat.

However, given the sharp rise in precious metal prices, this development in terms of value is accompanied by a decline in sales volume. Footfall at retail outlets was a clear concern in 2025, the industry said.

In detail, the price of a gold bar rose by 38 percent in 2025. The price of an ounce of silver increased by 35 percent and that of an ounce of platinum by 27 percent.

The production of watches and jewelry in France developed positively last year. It rose by seven percent year-on-year to 6.6 billion euros. This was driven by jewelry production, which increased by eight percent year-on-year to almost 6.2 billion euros. The production of real jewelry rose by ten percent to 5.6 billion euros. In contrast, the production of fashion jewelry fell by 16 percent to 426 million euros.

The watch segment remained stable at 425 million euros. Watch production grew by five percent to 105 million euros. This growth was driven by mechanical watches, which increased by ten percent. The production of household and technical watches, however, fell by seven percent year-on-year.