Bringing Vortic Watches to You!
One of our favorite parts of owning a watch company is traveling to trade shows to display our products and give our customers a chance to see our watches in person. These watches need to be held to be truly experienced!
As we look forward to 2023, we'd love to hear from our readers about where they want to see Vortic next year. In addition to trade shows and art fairs, we'd love to participate in other shows featuring cars, planes, knives, and other everyday carry or Made in USA items. If you have any ideas or want to see us in your city, respond to this email. We'd love to meet you in person!
For our final trade show of the year, we will be in Chicago, Illinois at the 21st annual One of a Kind Show + Sale. We love participating in this show because it gives us a chance to highlight one of our favorite aspects of Vortic watches -- they truly are one-of-a-kind pieces of history and works of art and this show is all about celebrating that!
If you live near the Chicago area or would like a chance to see our product first-hand, we would love to see you December 1-4. Tickets are even on us! Just follow this link to the One of a Kind Show website or click the button below, enter "Vortic Watch Company" for the company name, and use promo code EXH22EX2H.
If you haven't been to this show, and you live in driving distance to Chicago, you HAVE to go. We'll be just one of HUNDREDS of vendors. This is the perfect spot to buy your Holiday gifts!
Building a watch company is all about learning how to improve year after year. From how we approach email marketing to the machines we use to piece together our military edition watch stands. Today, we not only have bigger, better mills to do the machining work, but we’ve improved the very stands we use for our military edition watches as well.
We received a question from our listeners recently asking if we would ever come to D.C. for a trade show. We don’t currently have anything lined up for D.C. particularly, but we are doing a ton of events in 2023 that you don’t want to miss. Check out the bottom of these weekly emails to see our upcoming schedule, and answer this email with your ideas of where we should go!
Here's your Weekly Roundup!
Every Tuesday we send this Weekly Roundup of our most recent Watch of the Day watches. Some of these tend to go fast, 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!
We’re thrilled to present to you this one-of-a-kind piece of American history that was initially released by the Hamilton Watch Company — the Lancaster 176. This watch is truly breathtaking and features an aged tan-colored dial with an intricate center design pattern and subdial. You can also see the watch’s stylish black numerals and gleaming violet spade & whip hands that stand out against a patinated backdrop. We encased this charming pocket watch within our robust and scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case and topped it off with a copper-plated crown, making this eye-catching watch even more stunning.
On the watch’s rear side, you and other watch enthusiasts can view its original 912-grade open-face movement with remarkable details, including its Reed regulator, nickel finish, and pendant setting. You can also see the watch’s sumptuous and enthralling gold-plated gears that are powered by 17 screw-set jewels throughout its ¾ plate. Finally, we equipped the watch with our Stone leather watch strap that complements our Machined Titanium case while drawing more attention to the watch's impressive dial.
The Hamilton Watch Company originally manufactured the piece’s pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1926 — the same year actress and singer Norma Jean Mortenson, better known by her stage name Marilyn Monroe, was born in Los Angeles, CA.
Monroe started her groundbreaking career as a pin-up model, which led to her landing minor film roles in the late 1940s and early 1950s in movies such as The Asphalt Jungle, Clash by Night, and We’re Not Married!
In 1953, she rose to fame as a Golden Age Hollywood lead actress with the films Niagara, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and How to Marry a Millionaire. She then went on to solidify her place in film and pop culture history by starring in The Seven Year Itch in 1955 and Some Like It Hot in 1959. Tragically, Monroe died from a barbiturate overdose at age 36 in 1962.
We’re delighted to showcase this luxurious watch that was originally built by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1930 — the Lancaster 179. The front of this breathtaking piece boasts a soft-gold-colored dial with patinated gold numerals and a glimmering subdial. The dial also features even more opulent details with its rich, violet-colored diamond kite watch hands. We complemented the pocket watch’s sumptuous style by encasing it within our beautiful and robust Gilded Titanium case and equipped it with a gold-plated crown.
In addition to high-quality protection and style, our Gilded Titanium case also features a transparent back, allowing you to view the pocket watch’s antique 912-grade open-face movement with gold-plated gears that are energized by 17 remarkable screw-set jewels. The piece also boasts a ¾ plate, Reed regulator, nickel finish, and pendant setting. To top the piece off, we paired it with our hand-crafted Cordovan Oxblood leather watch strap, making this one-of-a-kind piece of American-made luxury comfortably wearable.
The Hamilton Watch Company initially released the pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1930 — the same year that Colonel Harland Sanders opened the first Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant. Colonel Sanders originally named his restaurant Sanders Court & Café, and he first sold his food out of a Shell filling station that he purchased in North Corbin, Kentucky.
22 years later, Colonel Sanders began franchising, and he first franchised the recipe to Pete Harman in South Salt Lake, Utah. Harman hired a sign painter named Don Anderson for his Sanders Court & Café location, and Anderson came up with the name “Kentucky Fried Chicken.”
Today, KFC is the second largest restaurant chain in the world after Mcdonald's and has 22,621 locations across the globe.
We’re excited to present this highly unique and memorable piece that was initially released by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1929 — the Lancaster 177. This watch displays an aged, tan-colored dial with a circular floral design underneath its olive-green numerals. You can also see its helpful subdial with white numerals and violet diamond kite watch hands that glimmer vividly in the light. We matched the original antique pocket watch with our powerful and stylish Sandblasted Titanium case and a nickel-plated crown, drawing further attention to the watch’s stunning dial.
On the back, you can see the watch’s impressive 912-grade open-face movement that comes with a Reed regulator, nickel finish, and pendant setting. The watch also boasts sumptuous-looking gold-plated gears that are powered by 17 screw-set jewels within its ¾ plate. Finally, we paired this one-of-a-kind watch with our artisan-designed Olive leather watch strap, matching the dial’s unforgettable numerals.
The Hamilton Watch Company originally produced the pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1929 — the same year that prominent civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta. He’s known primarily for his championing nonviolent resistance to combat racial discrimination, and he was one of the co-founders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1964, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Martin Luther King Jr. the Nobel Peace Prize for his influence and efforts in fighting against racial inequality.
In addition to being one of the most influential voices in the fight against Jim Crow laws and racial injustice against black people, he was also an active proponent of Native American rights and was a major influence on the development of the Native American rights movement.
We’re thrilled to showcase a truly one-of-a-kind piece from our Railroad Edition watch series originally released by the American Waltham Watch Company over a century ago — the Boston Railroad 003. These railroad pocket watches were the height of watchmaking technology when created and featured a safety lever beneath the bezel that prevented the time from being accidentally changed. To access that lever, we have equipped this watch with a unique removable bezel that makes it possible to adjust the time.
This marvel of American manufacturing boasts large, striking black numerals and a matching subdial that looks especially eye-catching against its tan background. The front of the piece also displays blued steel, extra-heavy spade and whip watch hands that glimmer vividly in the light. We ensconced this special pocket watch within our artisan-manufactured Machined Titanium railroad case and equipped it with a nickel-plated crown.
On the back of this stunning piece, you can see its antique Vanguard-grade open-face movement with a Lever-grade setting and distinct, beautiful patterns across its bridge plate. The piece also features both bronze-plated and gold-plated gears that are powered by 23 sumptuous jewels. To top off this exceptional watch, we paired it with our stylish Tobacco leather watch strap.
The American Waltham Watch Company initially produced the pocket watch in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1918 — the same year that the Twin Peaks Tunnel opened in San Francisco underneath the Twin Peaks hills. At the time of its building, the tunnel was the largest in the world for street railway traffic, and it took seven minutes to travel through it.
We’re delighted to showcase this unforgettable and distinct piece of American manufacturing history that was originally produced by the Elgin National Watch Company a century ago — the Chicago 513. This watch features an eye-catching, single-sunk dial with large and stylish black numerals along with highly unique blued steel watch hands. When viewing this piece, you can also see that the watch features a helpful subdial that complements the rest of its cream-colored dial. We equipped this historic watch with robust protection by ensconcing it within our Blued Titanium case, and we installed a striking copper-plated crown, making the watch even more memorable.
Our Blued Titanium case comes with a clear back, allowing you to see its 384-grade open-face movement with sumptuous gold-plated gears that are energized by 17 screw-set ruby and sapphire jewels throughout its ¾ plate. The movement also features other antique components, including a Going barrel, Moseley regulator, Breguet hairspring, and Quick train. Finally, we matched this remarkable watch with our artisan-designed Stone leather watch strap, making the completed piece all the more special.
The Elgin National Watch Company originally manufactured the pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1922 — the same year that legendary comic book author and publisher Stanley Martin Lieber — better known by his pseudonym Stan Lee — was born in New York City. Stan Lee was known for creating and co-creating some of the most famous comic book characters of all time, such as Spider-Man, Iron Man, the Hulk, and many others, during his lengthy career at Marvel Comics.
He started his writing career working as an assistant to his uncle, Robbie Solomon, in 1939 at Timely Comics, the predecessor of Marvel Comics. Lee adopted a pseudonym early in his career because he was embarrassed to be working on comic books, which were looked down upon at the time.
With the re-emergence of the public’s interest in superheroes in the late 1950s, Lee and artist Jack Kirby developed their first original superhero comic — the Fantastic Four. The series became an immediate hit, and the duo developed numerous other characters that continue leaving their marks on popular culture.
We have a truly remarkable piece that was initially released by the Illinois Watch Company 96 years ago — the Springfield 552. The front of this watch boasts a breathtaking aged dial with bold, black numerals and a matching subdial that displays stunningly against its tan background. The watch face also features an intricate and stylish center design as well as blued steel diamond kite watch hands. We matched this antique pocket watch with our robust Bronzed Titanium case, making the front of the watch even more eye-catching, and we topped it off with a nickel-plated crown.
On the rear side of the watch, you can see its 405-grade open-face movement with a Going barrel, nickel finish, and pendant setting. The watch’s back also displays 17 striking jewels throughout its center bridge plate that power the movement’s bronze-plated gears. Finally, we paired this one-of-a-kind watch with our artisan-designed Black leather watch strap, enabling the watch’s owner to wear this piece of history with ease and comfort.
The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured the Springfield 552’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1926 — the same year that rock and roll legend Bill Black was born in Memphis, Tennessee. Bill Black’s career in music spanned just over a decade, but he helped shape the emerging genre of rock and roll.
Black served as the bassist for The Blue Moon Boys, which featured Elvis Presley on vocals before he became an international sensation. He also started the band Bill Black’s Combo and opened Lyn-Lou Studio in Memphis. Tragically, he died at age 39 from a brain tumor, but in his short lifetime, he helped create rock and roll and influenced numerous artists. In 2009, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Upcoming In-Person Events
Trade Show Calendar:
Below, please find a list of our upcoming trade shows. We would love to meet you!
One of a Kind | Chicago, IL | Dec 1 - 4
Boca Raton Fine Art Show | Boca Raton, FL | Jan 28 - 29
Naples Art National Art Fair | Naples, FL | Feb 25 - 26
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!
