Tag Heuer, French luxury group LVMH's (LVMH.PA) biggest watch maker, said it will launch a smartwatch later this year using Google Inc's (GOOGL.O) Android operating system in a venture with Intel Corp (INTC.O) to compete head-on with the Apple Watch.

The world's largest watchmaker unveiled its riposte to Apple Inc's smartwatch on Thursday, announcing a plan to put cheap programmable chips in watches that will let wearers from China to Chicago make payments with a swipe of the wrist.

Credit Suisse (CSGN.VX) is bringing in Tidjane Thiam, the head of British insurer Prudential (PRU.L), as its new chief executive to help drive the Swiss bank's push into wealth management in emerging markets.

Swiss company Holcim (HOLN.VX) came under pressure on Monday to secure improved terms for its shareholders in a planned merger with France's Lafarge (LAFP.PA) that would create the world's largest cement maker.

The Swiss National Bank, battling a rise in the country's currency, could push interest rates further into negative territory if the franc moves in the "wrong direction", a Swiss newspaper reported on Sunday, citing sources close to the bank.

German carmakers are shifting their focus toward high-end electric vehicles such as the Audi R8 e-tron and away from cheap city cars, in the latest effort to revive environmentally-friendly but unpopular zero-emission vehicles.

Swiss cement maker Holcim (HOLN.VX) is considering offering its shareholders a sweetener to win their approval for a planned merger with France's Lafarge (LAFP.PA), a Swiss newspaper reported on Sunday without citing a source.

The main talking point at this week's Geneva car show is likely to be a vehicle that may never be built: the Apple car. The world's automakers will gather in the Swiss city to tout their latest minivans, city cars and sport utility vehicles against an uncertain market backdrop, with growing signs of recovery in Europe offset by slowing demand in emerging markets.

HSBC (HSBA.L), in the spotlight after details emerged about how its Swiss unit allegedly helped clients dodge taxes, isn't the troublemaker it is currently depicted as, the head of a rival private bank was quoted saying on Saturday.

Swiss lawmakers plan to question the country's financial watchdog about HSBC's Swiss bank to determine whether parliament needs to take a more active role in investigation of a trove of details on alleged tax evasion by some of the bank's wealthy clients.