The watch manufacturer Junghans felt the effects of the corona crisis again last year. Sales fell by around six percent to almost 18 million euros, as the traditional company announced on Tuesday in Schramberg.
“The lockdown in Germany was a severe cut for us,” said Managing Director Matthias Stotz of the German Press Agency. There was a lack of tourists and walk-in customers in the inner-city locations that are important for the company.
Overall, however, Junghans was satisfied and finished with a slight profit, summed up Stotz. He did not quantify the yield. “In the current year we want to get back over the threshold of 20 million euros in sales.” The signals from the specialist trade are encouraging.
Stotz made it clear that Junghans watches are mainly sold in Germany. “But we want to grow more abroad. We see great potential there, for example in the USA and Great Britain.”
Swiss watchmaking
All clocks are assembled at the location in the Black Forest. “In the case of radio-controlled clocks, we also build the radio-controlled movements ourselves,” said Stotz. The brand is committed to remaining accessible. “For many people, a luxury watch starts with a price of 5000 euros. We are in the middle price segment with prices of around 800 euros to around 2500 euros.” But there are models that are significantly more expensive.
Junghans has long relied on the electronic card, meanwhile more than half of the watches are mechanical. Most movements are therefore obtained from Switzerland. Junghans produces around 50,000 to 60,000 watches a year.
The watch factory has a historic building on site and can look back on more than 160 years of history. The family business employs 108 people, compared to around 6,000 in the 1960s. (dpa)