Exploring Christopher Ward's Expansion Plans: An Insightful Conversation with CEO Mike France

What does the future hold for the largest U.K.-based watch brand, Christopher Ward? Under the leadership of CEO Mike France, the Swiss-made, affordably-priced watchmaker has seen massive growth in recent years. This increase is due largely to well-received releases such as the ‘Bel Canto’ chiming watch and the brand’s commitment to price regulation.

France comments candidly on the dangers that U.S. tariffs brought to the business, how the levies forced a change in how its watches are shipped and dispersed in America. These tariffs have also considerably slowed down financial results in 2025, but the brand predicts a recovery by 2026, provided import duties remain unchanged. Even though Christopher Ward stays somewhat of an outlier in the Swiss Watch industry, it made its first appearance in the Morgan Stanley annual Swiss Watchers report in 2026, positioning among the top 50 brands.

In an interesting turn of events, the launch day of the Audemars Piguet x Swatch Royal Pop collaboration failed to go as planned at some places, with crowds overrunning staff and security, leading to store shut-down. It’s evident there’s plenty of watch business and strategy chatter, and every perspective adds value.