Why Humble Wristwatches Are Making A Comeback: Smartwatch Sales Slow After Years Of Explosive Growth
Smartwatches were supposed to replace traditional watches. Instead, something unexpected happened. After years of explosive growth, the global smartwatch market has slowed, while analogue and luxury watches are enjoying a remarkable resurgence. From Swiss watch imports crossing ₹3,500 crore in India to iconic brands like Tissot, Rado, Titan and Timex expanding their presence, consumers are rediscovering the appeal of craftsmanship, heritage and personal expression. Why are younger buyers becoming watch collectors? Why are luxury watch sales booming while smartwatch growth cools? And how are quick-commerce platforms changing the way Indians buy watches? In this video, we explore the surprising comeback of wristwatches, the slowdown in smartwatch sales, and why many consumers are choosing timeless design over constant notifications.
Varuni Khosla is a journalist with Mint, where she covers the consumer economy with a focus on hospitality and tourism, luxury, the business of sports...Read More
✕
Varuni Khosla
Varuni Khosla is a journalist with Mint, where she covers the consumer economy with a focus on hospitality and tourism, luxury, the business of sports, art, and the alcohol and food and beverage industries. Based in New Delhi, she reports on how brands and cultural sectors grow, shape consumer demand and compete in one of the world’s fastest-evolving markets.
Varuni has been a journalist since 2009 and brings more than 17 years of experience reporting on India’s business landscape. She specialises in covering the industries shaping India’s consumption economy, and is widely recognised as a key voice in these areas.
Over the years, she has closely tracked the rise of India’s luxury and hospitality sectors, the transformation of advertising and marketing as brands respond to digital platforms and changing audiences, and the economics of sport, from sponsorships and leagues to the expanding commercial ecosystems around teams, athletes and media rights. Her reporting on the business of art explores the growing global market for South Asian art and the role of collectors, galleries and auction houses.
Her stories frequently draw on exclusive conversations with founders, executives and industry leaders, combining market data with on-the-ground reporting to offer readers insight into the companies and trends shaping India’s evolving consumption economy.
