Niall black bezel suit e1448541054125
Niall One

Niall takes action over ‘USA Made’ complaint from US government

US watch manufacture Niall has acted on issues raised by the United States Federal Trade Commission which called into question the brand’s practice of marketing of its watches as ‘Made in USA’.

WatchPro reported on the launch of Kansas-based Niall Luxury Goods last September when the brand announced its first model the Niall One. At the time Niall’s founder and chief executive officer Michael Wilson claimed 93.3% of the watch’s components were made in America.

But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a more powerful and wide-reaching version of the UK’s Trading Standards body, took issue with this and the fact that Niall’s movements were Swiss-made and that a watch could not function without a movement.

The FTC believed that Niall had ‘overstated the extent to which Niall’s watches are made in the United States’ and contacted Niall with their concerns.

As such Niall has now overhauled its marketing approach to the manufacturing origins of its watches with Niall casebacks and dials now reading ‘USA Made Swiss MVMT’ rather than ‘U.S.A. Made’ as previously stated. The company has also made similar changes to its website and social media channels as well as agreeing to submit future marketing materials and media plans for legal review.

As such the FTC has opted not to pursue the matter further and hopes the closing letter, published online by FTC attorney Julia Solomon Ensor, will serve as guidance to other US watch makers on the matter of origin claims.

James Buttery

Editor of WatchPro, the WatchPro Hot 100 and The Luxury Report.

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