About the market:

Since Mintel’s last report December 2003, market growth has continued although volume sales are looking a little uncertain for 2005. The everyday role of the watch as a timekeeper is being muscled out by the presence of time on PCs, PDAs and mobile phones. Increasingly, the watch market is moving into the accessories market, with style and design moving to the fore lessening the importance of price for consumers. The established trend to trading up has continued to develop through higher price points in the mass market and into the luxury sector.

This demonstrates a fundamental shift in UK market conditions. The question now is can comparable growth be sustained over the next five years? What implications will this have for the main categories of players in the market and particularly the development of the branded proposition?