A recent survey by the American Afflluence Research Center (AARC) finds that despite growth in personal income among the nation's wealthiest consumers, they plan to spend less on fine jewelry and watches.

AARC's poll of 346 consumers from the wealthiest 10 percent of American households indicates that the anticipated drop in watch and jewelry spending matches the drop projected by the group's previous study.

The report also has the affluent respondents citing Rolex, TAG Heuer and Seiko as the highest-quality brands for men's watches, regardless of price. The wealthy's top picks for ladies' watches put Rolex, Cartier and TAG Heuer at the top of the heap for best ladies' fine watches. In terms of jewelry, those surveyed named Tiffany, Cartier and David Yurman as the best brands when it came to ladies' fine jewelry.

Survey participants polled by AARC in its “Spring 2005 Survey of Affluent Americans” report an average annual income of $369,000, and an average net worth of $2.7 million.

AARC's complete report is available for $350 by calling (305) 933-4887, e-mailing: [email protected], or by visiting: www.affluenceresearch.org


Source :www.national.jeweler.com