Though another factor may be the high inflation and pay raises necessary to keep highly talented craftspeople. You have to figure at least 5% pay raise in 2011 just to keep at the same pay level. If Patek were based in the USA, that would be at least 8% pay raise needed just to stay even. www.shadowstats.com .
Then there is costs of machinery needed ever-more precision and upkeep. other costs include, but not limited to:
1. Develop new technologies and implementing them.
2. The cost of the actual metals/leather/etc to produce the items.
3. Cost to ship items.
4. Cost to advertise products in print and Internet media.
5. Costs to produce/ship literature, magazines, etc.
The list goes on and on. Though please, deflation in housing/commercial RE is true yet is not a factor for producers of items. Am sure many here may run a business that produces items and understands the costs of manufacturing very high quality items (read: not Nike shoes made in Vietnam or junkware made by lesser-skilled workforce using low-end materials/fabrication.