I asked Jordan Ficklin, executive director at the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute, how he thinks this FTC guidance will affect the American watchmaking industry going forward.

"The FTC guidance confirms what I think we all knew already which is that the Made in the USA label is among the strongest in the world," Ficklin said. "It’s great for America but it presents a marketing challenge for the American watchmaking brands, especially those who want to compete overseas. There is a huge demand for American made products and while there are many companies making great headway in this area, none of them today will be able to claim 'Made in the USA.' The brands will need to be completely transparent in their claims and I hope the consumer rewards them for that. I think it is wonderful that we have companies who make their entire case in the U.S. I think it is wonderful that we have companies who assemble watches in the U.S. We don’t want these brands to get discouraged by this ruling. We want them to push forward creating horological products right here in the U.S.A. AWCI supports the return of an American watchmaking and clockmaking industry. We want to work with the brands to understand the FTC guidelines and to develop truthful marketing campaigns that will help them promote their products and grow the industry."