Final answer:
The trader bought 30 watches.
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the number of watches the trader bought, we can use the formula:
No. of watches = Total cost / Cost per watch
Given that the trader bought the watches for $16,000 each and sold them at a loss of 25% for $360,000, we can calculate the total cost as:
Total cost = Sale price / (1 - Loss %)
Total cost = $360,000 / (1 - 0.25) = $480,000
Substituting the total cost and cost per watch into the formula:
No. of watches = $480,000 / $16,000 = 30 watches
Therefore, the trader bought 30 watches.