2021 ended on a high for Swiss watch exports, confirming the strong results seen in November (+8.7%) with growth of 8.5% in December, compared with the reference year of 2019. The return to pre-crisis levels during September and positive performance in the fourth quarter produced the best-ever annual results for the sector, at 22.3 billion francs, 2.7% higher than in 2019 and a 0.2% improvement over the 2014 record. All groups of materials supported the December results, which were driven by watches made from precious metals and steel, in particular. Volumes, however, were significantly lower than in 2019, with 230,000 fewer items exported. The fall in volume for the year as a whole was 4.9 million items (-23.8% compared with 2019), with a total of 15.7 million watches exported. The United States (+44.2% compared with 2019) was the leading market last month as it was throughout the year, and recorded one of the highest increases in December. Singapore (+6.5%), the United Kingdom (+13.5%) and the United Arab Emirates (+8.2%) all grew.