Demand for Swiss watches fell 22 percent in August 2009 in relation to August 2008, but the pace of decline eased for the second month in a row. According to the Swiss Watch Federation, demand for timepieces remained weak in key Hong Kong and US markets, where exports tumbled 26 percent and 37 percent respectively. The value of sales slipped to Swiss Francs SFR 843 million (USD $ 822 million) in August 2009, falling below 2006 levels. Swiss watch exports have fallen 26 percent to USD $ 7.9 billion, the industry body said. 1.1 million Swiss watches were exported in August 2009, 590000 less than in August 2008. Demand for watches costing USD $ 200 to 500 at export price remained the most resilient category, contracting 15 percent while the fall in exports of watches priced USD $ 500 and above posted a relative improvement on previous months, with their value 23 percent lower, the Federation said.