A Building With Our Name On It & Weekly Roundup (August 26th, 2020)

A Building With Our Name On It & Weekly Roundup (August 26th, 2020)

"Match Made In Heaven"

Veteran's Watchmaker Initiative Dedicates New Building To R.T. Custer and Vortic Watch Company

On Veterans Day, 2019 we launched the Military Edition in partnership with the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative in Odessa, Delaware. It was a huge success, sold out in a matter of hours, and we successfully raised $25,000 in support of the school. 

We scheduled a check presentation for early 2020, but, as you probably know, the first quarter was very difficult for me (R.T.), and for Vortic Watch Company in general. This past weekend I was finally able to travel home to Pennsylvania and host the funeral service for my mom. While I was in the area, I thought I'd stop by the school, do the check presentation, and catch up with my friends.

They surprised me not only with the makings of a brand new building at the school, but by naming the building after me! I'm not usually speechless, but yesterday I was.

“We are beyond grateful to Vortic and R.T. for their generous contributions and continued support,” says Sam Cannon, founder of the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative, “With this donation, we will be able to continue to provide veterans with the training necessary to repair timepieces and restore their own dignity and purpose.” 

All of us here at Vortic are excited to see what we can do in future partnerships with the school, and having one of their buildings dedicated to us is an absolute honor.

The Veterans Watchmaker Initiative anticipates the new service center to be completed by the fall of 2020. We launch the 2nd Edition of the Military Edition this Veterans Day, November 11th, 2020, and we've pledged another $500/watch to the school. We can't wait to donate another $25,000!

 
 
 

The Weekly Roundup

Here's your weekly roundup from Vortic Watch Company! Check out the last 7 watches from our Watch of the Day program.

Click on any of the images below to learn more about that particular watch.

 
 
 

Chicago 390

 
 
 

The Chicago 390 is such a fun watch. The brass dial with beautiful script numerals really stands out against our Bronzed 3Dprinted titanium case. We used a Mojave strap for this one, which adds another layer of texture and works so well with the design. The 17 jewel movement was originally manufactured by the Elgin Watch Company in 1921. Fun fact, 1921 marked the opening of the worlds first fast food chain, White Castle.

 

Springfield 333

 
 
 

The shine on the Springfield 333 is an absolute treat. It has a perfect sheen that highlights the machined titanium case as well as the gold hands. We paired it with a black horween strap to allow the dial and gold features to be accentuated. Depending on how you hold it in the light it gives a different luster! Coincidentally, the number "333" has been said to signify the presence of something "angelic". This 17 jewel movement was manufactured in 1927 by the Illinois Watch Company - the same year work began on Mount Rushmore!

 

Chicago 078

 
 
 

The duality on this watch is what we like to call a Conversation Piece. An especially crisp Elgin dial with just the slightest curl in the numerals and beautifully preserved in our machined titanium case. We chose the gold crown and Cordovan Oxblood strap to add in the overall class of this watch but it doesn't stop there! When you turn the watch over, you discover a stunning two-tone movement featuring 17 jewels, produced in 1915. We think this is a beautiful piece for our exhibition backs but we'll let you decide for yourself.⁠

 

Chicago 381

 
 
 

 Where to even begin with this watch! We are amazed at how the combination of the cream dial, the brown-gold numerals and steel blue hands all come together. To play with the brown undertones in the numerals we went with the copper crown and crimson strap. We tried to capture the texture of the ornate design in the center of the dial but it might just be something you have to see in person! We were thinking the design almost looked a medal. Turns out the year this movement was produced, 1928, Charles Lindbergh is presented the Medal of Honor for his first trans-Atlantic flight.

 

Burlington 015

 
 
 

 It is few and far between that we see a 3 o'clock crown and we love the look it on this Burlington. The speckled look on the dial is especially accented by a machined black case and coal strap. This movement is special, boasting 21 jewels manufactured by the Burlington Watch Company in 1918. We love learning about the events happening during the years these movements were produced and we found that 1918 was the year U.S. Congress established time zones and approves daylight saving time!

 

Springfield 334

 
 
 

If only we could hear the stories of the history these dials and movements have to tell! This dial features a striking design in the center that depicts mirrored dragons breathing smoke. We aren't totally sure of the "why" behind this design but paired with the gold numerals it is simply eye-catching. We used our machined titanium case and gold crown to draw on the natural features in this watch. It's not every day that we get to use the Olive strap but we feel like it really works with this piece. It's no surprise that this dragon dial comes with a fire, 21 jewel movement produced in 1932 by the Springfield Watch Company.

 

Chicago 385

 
 
 
 

The Chicago 385 is a great mix of seemingly modern style but with old-world patina. The pinstripe pattern on the dial is very rare, and the last time we saw it, the dial was almost overly shiny. This dial however has been worn over time and the patina is just perfect. Even the movement has some patina around the edges. You can definitely tell this piece is roughly 100 years old!

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