India remains Swiss matchmaker Rado’s largest market globally, contributing a two-digit percentage of the brand’s global sales, as the brand sees further headroom in a rapidly expanding luxury watch market, younger consumers, and rising demand for premium timepieces.
“India became the number one market, and of course also with a very pleasant growth during the last couple of years,” said Adrian Bosshard, Global CEO, Rado. “It’s already now a very important share of the Rado business.”
The broader Indian Swiss watch market has also continued to expand. Swiss watch imports into India grew 31 per cent in the first eight months of the year, according to Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FH) data cited by Bosshard.
Bosshard sees India moving further up the global luxury watch market rankings, currently in the top 15, and believes its journey will extend into the top 10.
“I’m sure the journey of India in the ranking of the biggest luxury markets is not ending at position 12 or 13. It’s a step before entering the top 10,” he said.
Rado is also preparing its production capabilities for the anticipated demand. The company has increased capacity and performance at its high-tech ceramic manufacturing facility, while strengthening its R&D and production infrastructure.
“We are preparing our factories for the upcoming years to absorb the big growth from the Indian market,” Bosshard said.
India’s growth is being supported by demand across Rado’s Rs 1 lakh – Rs 7 lakh price architecture, although the brand’s biggest volumes come from the Rs 1.5 lakh – Rs 3 lakh segment. Demand is also building in the Rs 3 lakh – Rs 6 lakh range, particularly for high-tech ceramic watches and mechanical movements.
“In India, we are covering all the price segments at a very spectacular level,” he said. “We aim to stay in this important price segment.”
Bosshard said Rado has seen its average ticket size rise in recent years, driven by currency movements and increasing demand for premium materials and mechanical movements.
“We see more and more customers searching also for premium movements, mechanical movements, and high-tech material,” he said.
The brand is also expanding its physical footprint, currently operating around 210 points of sale and 37 boutiques in India. Rado expects to add around 3-4 boutiques annually, including in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, while prioritising service quality over rapid network expansion.
“Our aim is never to grow sales due to opening new stores,” Bosshard said.
India’s younger luxury consumer is another focus, with Rado maintaining its entry price around Rs 1 lakh while also pushing higher-value collections.
“We need to keep the older generation… but on the other side also attract the young customers,” he said.
Rado is marking 40 years of high-tech ceramic watches this year. The company now produces watches in more than 25 ceramic colours, while around 70 per cent of its overall production is in high-tech ceramic.
Bosshard said the brand’s strategy is to keep investing in product and material innovation rather than relying solely on marketing.
