Swatch Group is not taking special short-term action in Hong Kong

[October 03, 2019]  BIEL, Switzerland (Reuters) - Swatch Group <UHR.S> is not taking any special short-term action in Hong Kong where sales have been hit by escalating political protests recently, the head of the world's biggest watchmaker said at a press conference on Thursday.

"We are all hoping the situation will get better, we are not taking any special short-term actions. We hope for the people there that a solution will be found," Chief Executive Nick Hayek told journalists at the inauguration of the new headquarters for its Swatch brand in Biel in western Switzerland.

Hayek declined to comment on the sales outlook for this year, but said the group that also makes Omega and Longines timepieces was seeing good growth in 95% of its markets, particularly in the United States and Japan.

(Reporting by Silke Koltrowitz)

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