If you are very lucky, you might now be able to walk in to a store and walk out with a Rolex. It may not be the model or style that you hoped for, but the simple fact that some of the brand’s watches are relatively available marks a stark turnaround from five years ago, when most required joining a lengthy wait list.

That you can splash your bonus in a boutique is evidence of the slump in the market for new timepieces, a state of affairs that has seen Swiss watch exports contract for the past two years.

© Bloomberg