Swiss Watchmakers Brace for Slowing Chinese Demand

Swiss Watchmakers Brace for Slowing Chinese Demand
Visitors are pictured on the A. Lange & Soehne stand, part of Richemont luxury group at the "Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie" (SIHH) watch fair in Geneva, Switzerland on Jan. 14, 2019. Denis Balibouse/Reuters
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GENEVA— Swiss watchmakers are starting to see signs of slowing spending from Chinese tourists, but are still banking on demand shifting to mainland China to fuel growth this year, several high-end brands said on Jan. 14.

Investors are on edge over a softening economic backdrop in China, and weak Chinese trade data on Monday sent shares in luxury goods companies that rely heavily on Chinese customers tumbling.