How the Swiss Franc Crisis Forced a Watchmaker to Reinvent

In 2015, the Swiss National Bank unpegged the franc from the euro, sending the currency soaring by 30 percent overnight. For Swiss watchmaker Oris, which exported 90 percent of its production, the crisis threatened to wipe out its entire business. This episode of Crisis Management with Fexingo: Recessions, Layoffs, and Business Survival Stories examines how a mid-market brand with no pricing power survived a currency shock that should have been fatal. Lucas and Luna walk through the specific decisions Oris made: freezing prices, cutting production without layoffs, refocusing on mechanical watches with higher margins, and doubling down on direct consumer engagement. They connect the story to today's market environment, where the VIX sits near 20 and small-cap stocks are outperforming. The episode asks what companies can learn from a crisis that had nothing to do with their product or strategy — a reminder that sometimes the biggest threats come from outside your industry entirely. #Oris #SwissFranc #CurrencyCrisis #SNB #Watchmaking #ExportBusiness #Manufacturing #PricingPower #CrisisManagement #BusinessSurvival #SmallCap #VIX #2026 #Reinvention #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Strategy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo