Watches with precious metal cases: South Korea exports and imports
HS 9101 · 손목시계ㆍ회중시계와 그 밖의 휴대용 시계(스톱워치를 포함하며, 케이스를 귀금속으로 만든 것이나 귀금속을 입힌 금속으로 만든 것으로 한정한다) · latest month: October 2026
In October 2026, South Korea exported $5.2 million of watches with precious metal cases (HS 9101), down 40.6% from September 2026 and down 26.1% from October 2025.
Over the 12 months to October 2026, exports of watches with precious metal cases (HS 9101) totalled $70.9 million, up 2.1% from the 12 months before ($69.5 million).
The largest destination over the 12 months to October 2026 was Japan ($23.0 million, 32.4% of the total), followed by Switzerland and Hong Kong.
That was 31.8% of South Korea's exports under HS chapter 91 (clocks and watches) over the same 12 months.
Imports in October 2026 were $40.9 million (up 33.6% from October 2025), leaving a deficit of $35.6 million for the month.
Official description of HS 9101: Wrist-watches, pocket-watches and other watches, including stop-watches, with case of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal.
Last 24 months
Subheadings under HS 9101
| Code | Product | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9101.11 | With mechanical display only | $12.5M | 17.6% | +5.9% | $1.1M |
| 9101.19 | Other | $17.7M | 25.0% | -9.4% | $777K |
| 9101.21 | With automatic winding | $23.6M | 33.3% | +20.4% | $1.8M |
| 9101.29 | Other | $15.4M | 21.7% | -9.9% | $1.0M |
| 9101.91 | Electrically operated | $23K | 0.0% | -62.6% | $0 |
| 9101.99 | Other | $1.7M | 2.4% | +26.9% | $466K |
Six-digit codes are international; the indented ten-digit codes are South Korea's own subdivision. These rows are world totals; "Share" is the share of the row above.
Top destinations
Export value over the 12 months to October 2026. 63 countries received this product from South Korea in the last 24 months; the table shows the largest 20.
| Rank | Country | Exports, 12 months | Share | vs 12 months before | Rank before | October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan | $23.0M | 32.4% | +14.3% | 2 | $2.0M |
| 2 | Switzerland | $20.9M | 29.4% | -21.2% | 1 | $1.2M |
| 3 | Hong Kong | $17.7M | 25.0% | +5.7% | 3 | $1.2M |
| 4 | China | $2.6M | 3.6% | +121.6% | 5 | $628K |
| 5 | Singapore | $1.8M | 2.5% | -8.7% | 4 | $0 |
| 6 | Australia | $1.4M | 2.0% | +1,647% | 14 | $0 |
| 7 | France | $1.2M | 1.7% | +62.4% | 6 | $73K |
| 8 | United States | $572K | 0.8% | -13.6% | 7 | $91K |
| 9 | United Arab Emirates | $502K | 0.7% | +160.6% | 11 | $9,590 |
| 10 | Taiwan | $290K | 0.4% | -31.1% | 8 | $0 |
| 11 | Ireland | $247K | 0.3% | +3.2% | 10 | $0 |
| 12 | Netherlands | $214K | 0.3% | +15.3% | 12 | $28K |
| 13 | Macao | $196K | 0.3% | – | – | $0 |
| 14 | Italy | $51K | 0.1% | +63.1% | 15 | $13K |
| 15 | Canada | $49K | 0.1% | +211.1% | 18 | $3,571 |
| 16 | Germany | $42K | 0.1% | -55.7% | 13 | $0 |
| 17 | Vietnam | $39K | 0.1% | – | 42 | $0 |
| 18 | Austria | $35K | 0.0% | – | 38 | $0 |
| 19 | United Kingdom | $35K | 0.0% | +107.3% | 17 | $425 |
| 20 | Denmark | $23K | 0.0% | – | – | $0 |
Countries are linked when exports of this product to them reached $5,000,000 over 24 months.
Monthly figures
| Month | Exports | vs year earlier | Export weight | Export $/kg | Imports | Import weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $5.2M | -26.1% | 435 kg | $12,049.30 | $40.9M | 1.5 t |
| September 2026 | $8.8M | -24.4% | 460 kg | $19,180.97 | $36.1M | 1.5 t |
| August 2026 | $4.4M | -48.7% | 371 kg | $11,883.54 | $28.4M | 1.6 t |
| July 2026 | $5.7M | -10.2% | 217 kg | $26,270.68 | $34.6M | 4.8 t |
| June 2026 | $5.5M | +62.0% | 237 kg | $23,025.05 | $36.3M | 2.0 t |
| May 2026 | $4.5M | -10.3% | 207 kg | $21,511.65 | $30.0M | 2.1 t |
| April 2026 | $4.9M | -5.9% | 228 kg | $21,675.39 | $29.5M | 1.7 t |
| March 2026 | $5.9M | -9.7% | 237 kg | $24,816.56 | $36.6M | 2.0 t |
| February 2026 | $5.5M | +26.3% | 308 kg | $17,964.54 | $31.1M | 1.4 t |
| January 2026 | $6.0M | +75.8% | 270 kg | $22,168.70 | $22.2M | 1.5 t |
| December 2025 | $6.6M | +172.0% | 213 kg | $30,818.81 | $29.9M | 1.5 t |
| November 2025 | $7.9M | +45.8% | 318 kg | $24,978.26 | $37.2M | 1.5 t |
| October 2025 | $7.1M | +77.7% | 282 kg | $25,155.24 | $30.6M | 2.9 t |
| September 2025 | $11.7M | +329.4% | 614 kg | $19,012.07 | $31.6M | 2.6 t |
| August 2025 | $8.6M | +214.2% | 675 kg | $12,731.80 | $25.6M | 1.7 t |
| July 2025 | $6.4M | +108.9% | 389 kg | $16,328.09 | $39.5M | 2.1 t |
| June 2025 | $3.4M | -26.4% | 200 kg | $16,847.33 | $27.5M | 2.6 t |
| May 2025 | $5.0M | +114.1% | 238 kg | $20,864.45 | $29.2M | 2.1 t |
| April 2025 | $5.2M | +64.4% | 257 kg | $20,426.74 | $26.5M | 1.7 t |
| March 2025 | $6.5M | +45.7% | 241 kg | $27,036.07 | $27.1M | 2.0 t |
| February 2025 | $4.4M | +30.6% | 163 kg | $26,872.45 | $29.6M | 1.1 t |
| January 2025 | $3.4M | -28.6% | 141 kg | $24,146.48 | $18.8M | 1.3 t |
| December 2024 | $2.4M | -38.8% | 216 kg | $11,172.85 | $31.3M | 2.1 t |
| November 2024 | $5.4M | +70.0% | 341 kg | $15,972.71 | $36.4M | 1.8 t |
Exports FOB, imports CIF, US dollars. Weight is net weight. "vs year earlier" compares export value with the same month one year before and is left blank when that month was under $10,000. Source: Korea Customs Service, via data.go.kr.