Ash's Longines contract renewed
- agencyfaqs.com
The Swatch Group, which launched its Longines range of watches here on Thursday, plans to bring in several other brands into the Indian marketplace. The Country Manager of the $3.2-billion group, Mr Gopalaratnam Kannan, said the group has garnered about 80 per cent of the domestic market for watches for the connoisseur and plans to further consolidate this by launching new brands. The new range would be lined up during this year and the next, he said.
"The group currently offers 18 brands from its portfolio. The global market for high-end watches is growing at a rate of 22 per cent and the domestic market has followed this, with about 30 per cent increase in sales. ... India and China offer great opportunity for growth as these have been identified as two fast-paced markets. The market for such watches is estimated at about Rs 1,000 crore, and with the launch of new brands, we expect the market to grow, driven by current lifestyle trends," he said.
The Swiss watchmaker Longines has launched the Evidenza collection that draws inspiration from the 1920s. With its spirit driven by the likes of Humphery Bogart and Audrey Hepburn and now Aishwarya Rai, whose contract was recently renewed for two more years, the range brings to life the Jazz age. Priced at Rs 44,500 onwards, the Longines Evidenza range is available in 36 showrooms across the country.
