Apple shipped 10M more watches than entire Swiss watch industry in 2019, analyst says

There were 31 million Apple Watch shipments for the year, according to Strategy Analytics.

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Corinne Reichert (she/her) grew up in Sydney, Australia and moved to California in 2019. She holds degrees in law and communications, and currently writes news, analysis and features for CNET across the topics of electric vehicles, broadband networks, mobile devices, big tech, artificial intelligence, home technology and entertainment. In her spare time, she watches soccer games and F1 races, and goes to Disneyland as often as possible.

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Corinne Reichert

Feb. 5, 2020 1:30 p.m. PT

cnet-cheap-expensive-07a-apple-watch-series-5 — Apple shipped 31 million smartwatches during 2019, Strategy Analytics says.
Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple's smartwatch is gaining popularity, with the tech giant shipping 31 million Apple Watch devices during 2019, according to Strategy Analytics. Combined, it said Swiss watch companies shipped 21 million units for the year. This means Apple "outsold the entire Swiss watch industry," by 10 million devices, the tech analysis firm said in an emailed press release Wednesday.

Apple launched its most recent smartwatch, the Apple Watch Series 5, in October 2019. The latest Apple Watch starts at $399 and now comes with an always-on display.

"A blend of attractive design, user-friendly tech and sticky apps makes the Apple Watch wildly popular in North America, Western Europe and Asia," said Steven Waltzer, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics.

By comparison, 2018 saw 24 million Swiss watch shipments and 22.5 million Apple Watch shipments. "Swiss companies, like Swatch, are losing the smartwatch wars," Strategy Analytics said, also pointing to brands including TAG Heuer and Tissot.