Come See Our New Building!
Your weekly roundup of one-of-a-kind watches is below, but first...
This Thursday we're hosting a Soft Opening of our new manufacturing facility in Fort Collins, Colorado! If you live nearby or happen to be in the area, please come celebrate with us!
We're doing a celebration with our whole team and a few members of the press in the morning, and then hosting small group tours from 11am to 4pm on the hour each hour.
We have a great selection of watches in stock, and you might even get a glimpse of what this year's Military Edition will look like if you ask one of the watchmakers nice enough!
Click the button below to schedule a time for a tour! If you can't make it Thursday, but want to see us in person, please reply to this email to get on the calendar for the future!
In preparation for our big event Thursday and all the visitors we plan to have, we've uploaded more inventory to the website! As you know, they are truly one-of-a-kind, and they go quickly (Saturday's watch sold in 4 minutes!), so if you want to buy one of these watches before someone else does, click the link below and check out what we have!
What is a CNC Lathe?
Check out this week's Custer&Wolfe, Building a Watch Company episode to learn more about Lathe's and the difference between that machine and our other machines like the CNC mills.
Tyler goes into detail on what they are, how they work, and what we use them to make!
Here's your Weekly Roundup!
Every Tuesday we send this Weekly Roundup of our most recent Watch of the Day watches. Many watches sell within minutes or hours, so be sure to check the website each day at noon Mountain Time or follow us on social media to get more frequent updates!
Click the images of the watches to learn more about them. Make sure to check the website at 12 PM Mountain Time for the Watch of the Day!
The Chicago 500 (TODAY'S WATCH)
We’re thrilled to present a stunning piece originally manufactured by the Elgin National Watch Company in 1919 — the Chicago 500. The watch’s handsome dial features an aged center design along with matching dark-brown numerals. The front of the watch also displays blued-steel spade & whip watch hands that glimmer vividly against its cream-colored background. We encased Elgin’s antique pocket watch within our protective and stylish Blued Titanium case, and we topped it off with a nickel-plated crown.
On the back of the watch, you can view its historic 384-grade open-face movement with a going barrel, quick train, and Breguet hairspring. It also boasts 17 screw-set ruby and sapphire jewels throughout its ¾ plate that power its robust, gold-plated gears. Finally, we equipped this remarkable watch with our comfortable, artisan-designed Olive leather watch strap, making this one-of-a-kind piece even more eye-catching.
The Elgin National Watch Company initially produced the Chicago 500’s pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1919 — the same year that The New York Globe published the first Ripley’s Believe It or Not! newspaper panel. Robert Ripley’s Believe It or Not! series quickly became a huge success and led to various adaptations, including radio and television programs, attractions, comic books, and many museums across the globe.
Although Robert Ripley passed away before seeing his franchise become what it is today, he did see tremendous success with his newspaper panel — which was read by over 80 million people daily during its peak — and he hosted the first thirteen episodes of the Believe It or Not! television series. Tragically, he passed away from a heart attack in 1949 shortly after the 13th episode of the series premiered.
We’re excited to bring you a remarkable piece of timekeeping history with this watch that the Elgin National Watch Company initially built in 1928 — the Chicago 012. This piece’s elegant face features a crisp, white dial with black hour numerals and deep, red minute numerals. The dial is further complemented by this watch’s eye-catching blued-steel cathedral hands and convenient subdial. We have paired this striking antique movement with our V3 machined titanium case and topped it with a nickel crown to complement the clean lines of the dial.
The rear of the watch, which is showcased through our unique clear-backed case, mirrors the elegance displayed in the watch’s face. The stunning ¾ plate features an intricate engraving that encircles the polished-nickel movement. In addition to the plate, this movement also features 17 stunning, screw-set jewels encircled by shining gold gears. To highlight the dial’s beauty even further, we have attached our comfortable, stout leather watch strap.
In 1928, the same year this watch was manufactured in Elgin, Illinois, Charles Jenkins from Washington D.C. filed for the first television license from the Federal Radio Commission. Jenkins was a pioneer in television and invented a mechanical television system that utilized a rotating disk with holes arranged in a spiral pattern. He also established the first commercial television station in the states, W3XK, which first aired from Jenkins Labs in DC five nights a week.
We’re pleased to present this highly distinct piece originally constructed by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1927 — the Lancaster 161. The striking face of this watch features an amber-colored face highlighted by rich patina and shining, golden numerals. In addition to the gorgeous hues of the dial, this watch also features blued, spade hands and a unique subdial. We have encased this gorgeous antique movement with our sandblasted titanium case and topped it with a copper crown to highlight this piece’s eye-catching dial.
As you turn the watch over, you can view the antique pocket watch’s inner workings through the case’s clear-backed design. The remarkable machined-nickel ¾ plate movement showcases a pendant movement setting and gleaming gold and nickel gears. This movement also features 17 stunning jewels. We have paired this fantastic movement with our moss watch strap to showcase the vibrant tones of the dial even more.
In 1927, the same year this watch was initially created by the Hamilton Watch Company, Pan American World Airways first opened for business. Over the course of 64 years, Pan Am grew from a mail charter service to one of America’s most iconic airlines. This innovative airline was the first U.S.-based airline to fly worldwide and was also one of the first to adopt the use of jet engines.
The aviation giant closed due to bankruptcy in 1991, and its commercial service ended with a final flight that landed in Miami, Florida, on December 4.
We have an incredibly special watch originally manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1937 — the Lancaster 165. This breathtaking piece boasts an elegant dial with distinct golden numerals that glimmer handsomely against its cream-colored background. The front of the watch also features blued steel solid diamond kite hands and a convenient subdial. We complemented the pocket watch’s golden numerals by equipping it with our protective PVD Zircon Gold case and gold-plated crown.
On the back of the watch, you can view its 912-grade open-face movement with a reed regulator, nickel finish, and bold, black inlay colors. Like the dial, the back of the watch features a distinct style with its black and golden details. Its gold-plated gears are powered by 17 stunning screw-set jewels that reside within the movement’s ¾ plate. Finally, we topped the piece off with our artisan-designed Rye leather watch strap, making this American-made watch even more eye-catching.
The Hamilton Watch Company initially produced this remarkable pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1937 — the same year that John Steinbeck published his acclaimed novella Of Mice and Men. Steinbeck drew inspiration for the novella’s subject matter from working on a farm with migrant workers as a teenager.
Originally, Steinbeck intended on titling the work Something That Happened, but he changed the title to reference Robert Burns’ poem To a Mouse, which features the iconic line “The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men / Gang aft agley,” which people now usually quote as, “The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry.”
We’re excited to showcase this remarkable piece initially produced by the Illinois Watch Company nearly a century ago — the Springfield 539. This gorgeous pocket watch features a tan, glimmering dial with black, stylish numerals and a matching subdial. The face of this watch also proudly displays its original blued steel diamond kite watch hands. We matched the Illinois Watch Company’s antique pocket watch with our robust Machined Titanium case and a nickel-plated crown, emphasizing the piece’s sophisticated dial.
Our Machined Titanium case features an open back, enabling watch enthusiasts to view its historic 405-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish and pendant setting. The movement also features a gilt engraving that reads “The Autocrat,” a fitting description for this elegant, one-of-a-kind piece. Finally, the back of the watch features bronze-plated gears powered by 17 jewels throughout its center bridge plate. We equipped this handsome watch with our comfortable, artisan-designed Stout leather watch strap, making the final product even more special.
The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured the Springfield 539’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year as the Honda Point disaster, the most devastating loss of U.S. Navy ships during peacetime. Due to a heavy fog and a risky training exercise that was supposed to emulate wartime navigation, seven destroyers struck the Honda Point in Santa Barbara County, California, leading to 23 sailor casualties.
In response to the tragedy, the Navy court-martialed eleven officers, including Captain Edward Howe Watson, who gave the order for the Navy ships to stay in close formation and not slow down as they approached the Honda Point.
We’re delighted to feature this striking and highly unique watch initially produced by the Illinois Watch Company — the Springfield 535. The Springfield 535’s original pocket watch boasts a remarkable dial with an aged cream-colored background as well as an octagonal frame and elegant pattern on the outside of the piece’s dark numerals. The front of the watch also features a darker center design matching its outer frame and blued steel diamond kite hands. We encased this remarkable pocket watch within our protective and stylish Sandblasted titanium case and equipped it with a gold-plated crown.
On the back of the watch, you can view its original 405-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish, pendant setting, and going barrel. The watch’s movement also features bronze-plated gears powered by 17 jewels throughout its center bridge plate. We finished off this one-of-a-kind piece of history by pairing it with our Moss leather watch strap, which complements the watch’s exquisite dial.
The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured this antique watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1925 — the same year that the United States Congress passed the Federal Probation Act, enabling U.S. courts to sentence legal offenders to probation rather than prison. The act also led to the eventual creation of the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System in 1982.
Upcoming In-Person Events
Below, please find a list of our upcoming trade shows. Tyler and/or R.T. will be attending most of these shows and would love to meet you!
Trade Show Calendar:
- WindUp Watch Fair | New York, New York | Oct 21 - 23
- American Field | Denver, Colorado | Oct 28 - 30
- MicroLux | Austin, TX | Nov 5 - 6
- Fountain Hills Art Festival | Fountain Hills, AZ | Nov 11 - 13
- One of a Kind | Chicago, IL | Dec 1 - 4
If you will be attending any of these shows, please send us an email. At the very least we'd like to shake your hand, and there may even be an opportunity for drinks or a social event at some of these locations if we get enough people!
