How to Market Watches in the Digital Era
Staying off video-driven platforms like TikTok seems to work only for giants such as Rolex, which climbed the digital ranking through static imagery celebrating the major tournament wins of its tennis ambassadors, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. This success relies on Rolex’s well-resourced content strategy, as well as the global pull of its select ambassadors.
By contrast, brands that have continued to rely primarily on traditional media have lost ground. Cartier, long dominant on Instagram and YouTube, saw its TikTok score fall from 100 to 75.7, and its YouTube score from 87.9 to 71.3. Omega also slipped on TikTok (scoring 86.4 in 2024 vs 72.8 in 2025) and Instagram (84.5 vs 71.5). Panerai, however, which adopted a different strategy by disengaging from video platforms in favor of Facebook, suffered the biggest losses: from 56.9 to 2.8 on TikTok, and 48.1 to 19.7 on YouTube, losing visibility in the most dynamic corners of the digital sphere. On TikTok, in particular, limited activity — posting just 16 times over the past year — hindered Panerai’s ability to keep pace.
Craftsmanship and celebrities as marketing drivers
This year, audiences are responding strongly to human-centered storytelling, particularly in video format. Investment in craftsmanship and celebrity endorsements is paying off, with posts spotlighting the mechanics of a timepiece or an ambassador wearing a watch, driving the highest engagement across platforms.
The best-performing digital post in the Vogue Business 2025 Watch Index is a TikTok video by IWC, featuring a watchmaker at work. The clip, which has received 2.8 million likes and 83,000 shares to date, focuses on the delicate mounting of a Top Gun watch by watchmaker Florian Salzer, a format that humanizes the craft, builds a connection with its audience and keeps viewers watching and sharing.
Audemars Piguet’s most-watched TikTok also centers on craftsmanship, while incorporating a playful cultural element. In the clip, a watchmaker interacts with a timepiece and a Kaws-designed character that comes to life and wanders through the Vallée de Joux, home to the brand’s manufacturing. The video has collected 105,000 likes and more than 7,400 shares.