IN-DEPTH: What Gen Z want from their watches

By 2030, Gen Z will account for 25% of global luxury spending, according to Boston Consulting Group.

The age demographic – people born roughly between 1997 and 2012 – is coming into its purchasing power, which is expected to grow to $12 trillion by the same year.

The good news for watch brands is that the demographic is already engaged in the industry: 25% of the tickets for Watches & Wonders in Geneva were bought by people under the age of 25 in 2024.

What’s more, according to a report by Watchfinder & Co., over 41% of Gen Z purchased a luxury watch in the past year, while more than 54% already own at least one. These figures may require greater scrutiny, but underlying message of younger people’s engagement with luxury timepieces is clear.

Rolex remains the most aspired-to watch brand by Gen Z at 25%, followed by Omega (19%), TAG Heuer (17%), and Cartier (13%).

With the Zoomer (Gen Z) dollar set to become ever-more important to the watch industry, here’s what the stats say the demographic wants from their watches. 

Sustainability

As a demographic, Gen Z places significant emphasis across all retail sectors on sustainability and ethics. This means they are looking for things like transparency, traceability and authenticity from the brands they buy from.

This comes coupled with a recent study by Bain & Company that finds that trust in luxury brands is declining, particularly among younger clients. Factors for this include aggressive pricing tactics, a perceived drop in quality, and greenwashing. This means that, to attract Gen Z shoppers, watchmakers really need to walk the walk when it comes to their ESG commitments, not just talk the talk. 

Pre-owned 

Zoomers’ awareness of ethics and sustainability also means that pre-owned watches are increasingly popular, with 40% of Millennials and Gen Z telling Deloitte that they are likely to purchase one in the coming year.

The resale value of watches is also key for Gen Zers looking to get into watch trading and collecting. It’s all part of the demographic being the most “investment savvy” generation, driven by online influencers, the popularity of crypto, and easy-to-use investment apps that gamify the experience. 

Social media

Gen Z is the world’s first digital native generation – they have never known a world without the internet. Social media is hugely important, then, for reaching Zoomers and impacting their purchasing decisions. It’s where they discover new brands and products, after all. 

But traditional social media marketing isn’t going to cut it. Research shows that Gen Zs are more likely to be influenced by their fellow users than by brand advertising – 72% say they find peer recommendations more influential.

Social media shopping is only going to get more popular, too, with platforms like Instagram and TikTok Shop allowing buyers to buy directly from their feeds. It represents 19.4% of global eCommerce sales, meaning it’s already on its way to transforming the retail landscape as we know it. 

Dress watches

Forget the ubiquitous dive watch – Zoomers have their eye on another style entirely. According to a new report by Chrono24 and Fratello, dress watch purchases by Gen Z have risen 44% since 2018, versus 29% for other age groups.

This is perhaps partly driven by the ongoing popularity of Cartier, which was ranked number one in the Vogue Business Watch Index 2025. The jeweller and watchmaker has plenty of Gen Z fans, and saw purchases among this age range increase four-fold from 1.7% to 6.8% over seven years, outpacing its overall market performance (2.9% to 4.8%). 

Microbrands

Individuality is important to Gen Z, as is storytelling, and brands with a sense of authenticity. This is why microwatchmakers are thriving, as they offer all of the above at a price point that feels more considered than the opaque pricing of legacy brands.

For a generation that has grown up on social media and has a short attention span, limited drops, eye-catching collaborations, and niche designs are often more attractive than mass-market releases, too.