The Gen Z complication
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InBusiness news
on July 13, 2026
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By dint of spectacular collaborations, niche micro-brands and a fresh approach to storytelling, the watch industry is seeking to win over Gen Z, a generation that is expected to account for 30% of luxury buyers by 2030. But how can it convince customers who are already setting their own standards?
“They grew up without watches being part of their DNA.” Pascal Ravessoud, VP of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH), bluntly points out what has for several years been a market-driven challenge far more complex to resolve than developing a perpetual calendar. Yet this same generation – known as “digital natives” and lacking the watchmaking frame of reference held by those who came before them – now embodies the heart of the industry’s future commercial challenges. The numbers speak for themselves. According to Bain & Company’s Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study 2023, Gen Z is expected to account for 25 to 30% of global luxury buyers by 2030. Combined with millennials, they will make up approximately 80% of the market. One particular “small” detail is anything but: these young consumers have started buying luxury items three to five years earlier than their elders, at around age 15 on average, compared to ages 18 to 20 for millennials. Is that encouraging? Undoubtedly so!
The signs are equally telling within the watch industry, with Gen Z purchases of elegant “dress watches” surging by 44% since 2018. In fact, according to a oint study by Chrono 24 and Fratello, Cartier’s share of their transactions on the secondary market has quadrupled in seven years, confirming the exponential rise in the desirability of the jewelry-watchmaking Maison, which ranks fourth among Gen Z’s favorite orands, behind the unbeatable Rolex, Omega and TAG Heuer
“COVID accelerated everything and brought with it a massive influx of new faces into collector communities, forums and auction houses”, notes Ravessoud. At the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, applications for FHH certification – the only one to date that officially certifies theoretical knowledge – have poured in from all over, from young people outside watchmaking’s inner circle, “but who want to learn more, understand, broaden their knowledge and immerse themselves in the storytelling.” Originally designed for watchmaking professionals, the FHH certification has been inunlated by new enthusiasts in their twenties from around the world.
This is excellent news for the watch industry.
Gen Z enjoys getting on board with micro-brands such as Hegid © Hegid
Reaching them, but how?
For brands, however, one question remains. How can they convey a message that resonates with this new generation of customers? When it comes to storytelling, approaches vary. Breitling relies heavily on its “Squads” – collectives of personalities from basketball, surfing, and film – to project a cool, glamorous, laid-back lifestyle. TAG Heuer, meanwhile, has a major advantage thanks to its partnership with Formula 1, a realm young people already love. In both cases, the idea is to meet customers where they are rather than wait for them to naturally gravitate toward watchmaking.
Breitling’s cool brand universe is notably personified by a squad of surfers, exemplified here by Freddie Meadows with the Superocean Automatic © Breitling
Other strategies – this time on the product side – are also being implemented, offering this new generation a desirable entry point without com- promising the brand image. With the meteoric success of its sleek, 1970s-inspired design combined with an unbeatable price, the Tissot PRX has become the symbol of this approach. TAG Heuer and its Formula One line also come to mind; appealing to a younger clientele with a refreshing, colorful design inspired by the 1980s. In this game, micro-brands are coming out on top. Projects such as Hegid, Serica, Furlan Marri, Studio UnderdOg are all born outside traditional channels, led by approachable founders and embraced by increasingly engaged online communities. “There are a huge number of micro-brands today”, notes Pascal Ravessoud. “Enthusiasts – those who have it in their blood – are drawn to these new players rather than traditional brands, because it’s a great way to get started when you don’t have a lot of resources.”
Disco Volante by Furlan Marri, a Gen Z must-have © Furlan Marri
Collaborations undoubtedly also play a role. The 2022 Swatch × Omega MoonSwatch campaign remains a textbook example, with queues of people lining up to buy it around the world. A few weeks ago, the debut of the Royal Pop – a vibrant hybrid of a Swatch and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak – confirmed the younger generations’ appetite for watchmaking. After massive buzz on social media, Swatch stores were literally stormed. It was a way for Swatch to return to the center of the watchmaking vortex and for Audemars Piguet to throw the door to Gen Z wide open.
The brand led by Ilaria Resta is looking even further ahead and targeting Gen Alpha.
© Tissot
Authenticity first and foremost
So what about institutions? The organizers of Watches and Wonders acknowledged at an early stage the need to roll out a robust cultural program aimed at both passionate devotees and novices, both within the show venue and in downtown Geneva. On the days open to the public, nearly a quarter of admission tickets were sold to people under 25
Meanwhile, the FHH has completely revamped its social media strategy and is hosting a growing number of talks – from New York to Munich – aimed at a significantly younger audience. Meeting points and genuine exchanges have become essential for capturing a generation that is clearly drawn to authenticity
Tank © Cartier
Gen Z didn’t wait for brands to refine their strategies before inventing their own watchmaking narrative. While their elders discuss watches over a glass of champagne in hushed settings, young enthusiasts gather at beer-and-burger parties where watches – new or vintage – pass from hand to hand amid contagious good cheer
It is this same small community of cool kids that has retrained the spotlight on models such as Audemars Piguet’s Disco Volante, Rolex King Midas watches as well as Piaget’s hardstone dials
“They wear complicated or elegant watches with streetwear outfits in a completely uninhibited manner”, as Pascal Ravessoud notes
Gen Z is radically shaking up the rules – and it’s up to brands to adapt their approach
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