French luxury brand Hermès has announced plans to expand its watchmaking facility in Le Noirmont, located in Switzerland’s Jura Mountains, increasing the site’s total area to 11,000 sqm by 2028 and creating around 100 new jobs. The move comes amid a downturn in Hermès’ watch division, which saw sales fall 4% in 2024 and drop a further 10% YoY in Q1 2025. The global Swiss watch export market has also shown signs of weakness, with exports in May 2025 to mainland China, Japan, and Hong Kong declining by 17.4%, 10.5%, and 12.6% respectively.