It’s no secret that 2016 was a truly defining time for the American watchmaking industry. From a legal perspective, America plays by very different set of rules than traditional European watchmakers. Our laws dictate a "virtually all, if not all" USA-based manufacturing process (if you're going to label your watches as such in any way). This standard is radically different than Switzerland’s "60% Swiss Made" and Germany’s "50% German Made" standards. It’s rare for me to state absolutely, but in the case of American watchmaking there is one major absolute – no American brand will reach the full 100% USA Made legal standard in the next five years. While many of us have reached full non-movement production in the United States, there are technological roadblocks and know-how gaps that will have to be addressed before anyone can authentically claim USA Made.

It’s my perspective that USA Made should not be defined by math. It should be defined by who we are and what we stand for as watchmakers within our industry. The American watchmaking industry needs to stand for quality, authenticity, and service. The ability to manufacture high quality timepieces that are both transparent in approach and genuine in heart is important. Combined with a commitment to repairing the broken business-model of watchmaking "service," I believe this will be the foundation for what American watchmaking means going forward.