August was a very good month for Swiss watch exports. Their value exceeded one billion francs (1.07 billion), nearly equalling the 2008 result. Monthly growth peaked at +24.1%. With two-thirds of the year now behind us, the branch is 20.1% higher and has grown at a sustained pace since last January. Gold watches set the tone in August with a gain of almost 40% in value. Bimetal timepieces also reported a better than average sales rise. In terms of the number of pieces, all the materials moved ahead. The increase was more pronounced for precious metals and bimetal watches.