Swatch’s latest move zeroes in on a political issue that has dominated international headlines since the start of the year: the tariffs imposed by the President of the United States, Donald Trump. The Swiss company has decided to turn the 39% imposed by the U.S. administration into a number engraved directly on the dial. A special edition, sold only in Switzerland for 139 francs, it plays with the numbers by swapping the 3 and the 9 and placing the % symbol on the back. The idea is as simple as it is ironic: “hopefully just a limited edition,” the brand writes on its site, promising to withdraw the model as soon as the U.S. changes course.

It’s not only Swatch poking fun at geopolitics with the tick-tock of its hands. The brand Raymond Weil has also chosen to reply with a dose of irony: 39 pieces, 39 millimeters, and a 39% discount. In a market where time is literally money, the Geneva-based brand has flipped the logic: “instead of adding 39%, we’re taking 39% off the price.”

Behind the humor, however, lies a heavy blow for Swiss watchmaking, which counts the U.S. as nearly 17% of its export market. On August 7, 2025, the new 39% tariffs hit not only watches but also machinery, food products, personal care items, and even coffee.

So some Swiss watchmakers are responding in the language they know best: precision and design. And now, in this increasingly fraught international political climate, all that’s left is to wait for other brands’ reactions.