Do we like them?

Do we like Swatch?

Swiss watchmaker (Swatch, Omega, Longines, Tissot, Breguet and more), based in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.

Our score: 5 out of 10. A big, long-established Swiss maker with no recent fines found. It has a history of competition-law fights, and profits are thin. We'd back it with caution.

Swatch Group is the world's biggest watchmaker, with Swatch, Omega, Longines and Tissot among its brands. Nick Hayek is the public face. The company is listed in Switzerland. Our searches didn't turn up who its big owners are.

The big drama was with COMCO, the Swiss competition watchdog. It looked into whether Swatch abused a dominant position by planning to stop selling watch parts to rivals. COMCO suspended the supplies on a provisional basis, Swatch took it to court, and Hayek called the decision "incomprehensible and unacceptable".

More recently, COMCO closed a preliminary look at Swatch's components arm Nivarox without opening formal proceedings. It did find signs of cartel-law breaches over the quantities and products available to outside customers, and said Nivarox held a dominant position from 2014 to 2022.

Money-wise it's a tough patch. Half-year results to July 2026 showed sales up 8.5% at constant exchange rates but operating profit down to CHF 52 million. Headcount fell slightly to 31,331. Profit isn't good or bad conduct, so we've kept it out of the score.

Swatch also fights to protect its brands. The English Court of Appeal sided with it in the Samsung watch-face case, and damages were still being set. Overall: a solid old firm with some competition-law baggage and little proof of wider good, so a middling 5.