Skip to main content

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

Swatch Group Signed Contract with China's Geely for Battery

Swatch Group has signed a contract with Chinese car maker Geely, allowing it to use an innovative battery developed by the watchmaker's research firm Belenos.

Swatch pop watch | Source: Swatch

By

Reuters

05 June 2016

ZURICH, Switzerland — Swatch Group has signed a contract with Chinese car maker Geely, allowing it to use an innovative battery developed by the watchmaker's research firm Belenos, its chief executive said in an interview on Sunday.

"We're giving Geely the possibly to use our revolutionary battery system," Nick Hayek told NZZ am Sonntag. "This is a first breakthrough for our invention and shows the huge interest industrial firms take in it."

Hayek has said that the performance of the new battery, co-developed with ETH Zurich, is at least 30 percent superior to ordinary batteries.

A memorandum of understanding with Geely was signed mid-May, Hayek said in the interview without giving financial details.

By Silke Koltrowitz; editor: Alison Williams.

In This Article

Topics

Technology

People

Nick Hayek

Organisations

Location

Zurich, Switzerland

Tags

Fashion-Tech

© 2026 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from Technology

Analysis and advice on how technology is disrupting fashion and creating new opportunities.

Which High Street Fashion Brands Are Winning the AI Discovery Battle?

Which High Street Fashion Brands Are Winning the AI Discovery Battle?

Getting recommended by ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and other AI chatbots is fast emerging as a competitive advantage for fashion brands. As AI reshapes discovery, which brands are being favoured by AI and why?

Why Fashion Doesn’t Talk About How It Uses AI

Why Fashion Doesn’t Talk About How It Uses AI

A new analysis suggests most big fashion and retail players are using AI, though many are still reluctant to speak about it publicly.

Want to Know What Consumers Think? Ask an AI-Generated Focus Group.

Want to Know What Consumers Think? Ask an AI-Generated Focus Group.

Synthetic consumer research, where AI is used to simulate shoppers, is emerging as a cutting-edge way for brands and retailers to better understand their customers and test everything from products to marketing campaigns before they launch.

Opinion: Online Shopping Could Be AI’s Next Victim

Opinion: Online Shopping Could Be AI’s Next Victim

The more conversational commerce becomes, the more important generative engine optimisation will be, writes Andrea Felsted.

Latest News & Analysis

Unrivalled, world class journalism across fashion, luxury and beauty industries.

Fashion Startup Founder Pleads Guilty in $300 Million Fraud

Christine Hunsicker admitted she falsified financial statements to promote CaaStle Inc. as a valuable, growing business when in reality it was struggling.

Estée Lauder’s Surprise Acquisition, Explained

The American cosmetic giant’s buyout of Ayurvedic beauty line Forest Essentials came as a surprise. By picking an under-the-radar brand it knows well, the company can show that it’s still in the M&A game without needing to outbid rivals.

Victoria’s Secret Forecasts Its Best Year Since L Brands Split

The underwear company is anticipating net sales of at least $6.85 billion in the current fiscal year, exceeding analyst estimates and marking the highest revenue since its split from L Brands Inc in 2021.

Uniqlo Aims to Grow Tenfold in India With Summer-Centric Clothes

The Japanese brand is accelerating its expansion in India to capture a greater share of the rapidly growing apparel market and affluent consumer base.

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

CONNECT WITH US ON

© 2026 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our , , and .