The watch world breathed a collective sigh of relief over the Supreme Court’s decision on President Donald Trump’s trade policy.
In a 6-3 decision on Friday, the court ruled that imposing most of Trump’s tariffs exceeded his authority under a 1970s law. The ruling is a hefty blow to the policies he put in place against foreign countries, which companies have had to reckon with for nearly a year.
Watch dealers have told Business Insider that they and their shoppers stand to benefit from the ruling. Pre-owned watch retailer SwissWatchExpo CEO Eugene Tutunikov said it would likely lead to lower pre-owned watch prices in the next six months — he expects declines of 2% to 3%. Without tariffs looming overhead, the market is poised to snap back faster than retail prices as sellers set their prices and buyers take the deals.
“Supply will loosen up, and purchasing power goes right back to the collector where it belongs,” Tutunikov said.
A break from tariffs would make the entry point for luxury watch collecting more accessible.
Cue the celebrations among Swiss watch lovers who’ve been caught in a storm of retail price increases from leading brands like Rolex over the past year. Supply chain constraints also made it harder to do business in the secondhand market.
Tariff tensions between Switzerland and the US have been up and down since Trump’s Liberation Day. US imports of Swiss goods faced a baseline tariff of 10% from April 2025 until Trump eventually raised it to 39%, sending shockwaves through the watch industry. The two countries continued negotiations until Trump agreed to lower the rate to 15% after speaking with Rolex and other Swiss companies.
Trump clapped back at the nation’s highest court over its Friday ruling, saying he’d find alternative ways to keep his trade agenda intact.
“The Supreme Court did not overrule tariffs. They merely overruled a particular use of IEPPA tariffs,” Trump said, citing the law referenced in the court’s ruling.
However, the Supreme Court’s move is still a win in the books of watch dealers who’ve said the decision would allow pricing in the pre-owned market to return to being based on value and demand rather than tariffs.
“If they are indeed lifted, we expect it would meaningfully improve sentiment across the industry, increase access to important pieces, and ultimately benefit collectors, retailers, and brands alike,” said Joshua Ganjei, CEO of European Watch Company, which sells pre-owned and vintage watches.
