Congratulations to the Grads!
Your weekly roundup is below, but first please give a round of applause for our friends!
Last week three new watchmakers graduated from the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative. This is big news in the watch industry as there is a massive gap in the skilled trade, and watchmaking jobs are in high demand. Congratulations to Gordon, Dereck, and Mike on this fantastic achievement!
We're so excited to hear what they all end up doing after graduation, but we know where one is going...
Help us give a warm welcome to our newest watchmaker, Gordon!
Gordon, his wife Gloria, and their three children are moving to sunny Fort Collins, Colorado, and joining the Vortic Watch Company family later this summer. We couldn't be more excited to grow the team and to welcome Gordon onboard. As you know, we keep selling the watches faster than we can make them, so get ready Gordon... because we are BUSY!
Come see us in Denver this weekend!
We will be at the Colorado Music & Arts Festival in Westminster Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 6pm! You can party with us all weekend for just $8 if you purchase tickets here.
** Tickets at the gate are $15 so buy ahead! All you need to do is show the pass on your phone at the Admissions Gate.
Here's Your Weekly Roundup
Check out the images below for the Weekly Roundup of last week's Watch of the Daywatches!
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! They sell quickly. This week we have five watches queued up. Keep your eyes out for the perfect watch for you!
We’re lucky to have the opportunity to work on watches like this. Unique attributes and tons of character are what make our products so exciting. When we work with a watch that has as much visible wear and tear as this Springfield does, we know that the finished product is going to stand out as a true conversation piece. This watch was originally manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company in 1925 in Springfield, Illinois, and it’s easy to see its age in the dial. Watches like this are handed down from generation to generation, used for decades, and wound thousands of times over their lifespan.
This piece’s story can only be told by the hands that have touched it. We gave it new life in a phenomenal, sandblasted titanium case and added gold-plated hardware to accentuate the fading, gold numerals. In contrast, the movement is clean and features a highly decorated design: a radial pattern machined across the bridge plate. 17 screw-set, raised jewels, brass hardware, and a brass balance wheel help this movement pop. In the same year the Springfield 399 was made, New York City’s rapid growth earned it the title of “Largest City in the World,” as it overtook London’s population with 11 million residents.
This Boston, like the Boston 399 we shared last week, features a stylized design that reflects the shape of its original case. This beauty was housed in a six-sided gold case, as opposed to the round cases that we are so used to working with. We love the dial’s gold numerals and wanted to accent them with a gold-plated crown and hardware. The exquisite design throughout the rest of the dial is a perfect example of the craftsmanship we’ve come to appreciate from this era of watchmaking. The dark blue, spade hands, stout strap, and sandblasted titanium case help subtly complement the design without distracting from its gorgeous details.
This Boston’s movement, which features 17 screw-set jewels, a brass balance wheel, and ¾ bridge, also boasts a highly ornate motif. Its damaskeened build plate creates a stunning visual texture that balances the rose gold and gold-plated gears. This movement was originally manufactured in 1915 in Waltham, Massachusetts. In the same year, the US congress designated over 415 square miles of land in Colorado as Rocky Mountain National Park. The park is home to 77 tall peaks and the country’s highest, continuous, paved street: Trail Ridge Rd.
We’re in love with the complementary colors on this brilliant watch from Waltham. The soft and worn dial showcases its age while the gold-plated crown and hardware accent its bold, golden numerals. We chose a dark navy band to pair with the minimal, blue steel, space hands. The warm gold tones against navy is the perfect amount of contrast for this classic beauty. Our machined, titanium case creates the perfect setting for both the dial and movement.
The 17 jewel movement has been meticulously designed with a damaskeening process to create these elaborate patterns across the bridge plate. Gold-plated gears and stainless steel hardware accents balance out the ornate and bright shine of the bridge plate. This watch was originally manufactured in Waltham, Massachusetts in 1921. The company was founded in 1850 in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Waltham had a number of names and different products over the many years they were in business. They produced about 40 million products, including watches, clocks, speedometers, compasses, time-delay fuses, and other precision instruments.
We’re lucky to have the opportunity to work on watches like this. Unique attributes and tons of character are what make our products so exciting. When we work with a watch that has as much visible wear and tear as this Springfield does, we know that the finished product is going to stand out as a true conversation piece. This watch was originally manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company in 1925 in Springfield, Illinois, and it’s easy to see its age in the dial. Watches like this are handed down from generation to generation, used for decades, and wound thousands of times over their lifespan.
This piece’s story can only be told by the hands that have touched it. We gave it new life in a phenomenal, sandblasted titanium case and added gold-plated hardware to accentuate the fading, gold numerals. In contrast, the movement is clean and features a highly decorated design: a radial pattern machined across the bridge plate. 17 screw-set, raised jewels, brass hardware, and a brass balance wheel help this movement pop. In the same year the Springfield 399 was made, New York City’s rapid growth earned it the title of “Largest City in the World,” as it overtook London’s population with 11 million residents.
A fair amount of older pocket watches often had octagonal-shaped cases, as opposed to traditional round cases. This particular Waltham has a design on the dial that reflects that original case shape. We transferred this beauty into a new, round, machined titanium case, but we love the dial’s homage to its original design. The burgundy, full moon hands brought so much character to this watch that we decided to pair it with an equally complementary merlot strap and copper crown. There are so many different accents and interesting elements of design in this timepiece, it’s hard to take our eyes off of it!
Inside of the watch is a combination of friction-set and raised-screw-set jewels. Gold-plated gears, a brass balance wheel, a nickel-plated bridge plate, and stainless steel hardware have this movement shining through the exhibition case back. The Boston 399 was originally manufactured by Waltham Watch Company in Waltham, Massachusetts in 1924. In the same year, Calvin Coolidge won the US Presidential election, beating opponent John Davis. Coolidge was generally well received and even laid to rest several scandals from the previous administration.
This watch was a perfect candidate for our gunmetal titanium case. It pairs exquisitely with the exaggerated numerals that make this watch so unique. The gothic, blue steel hands help the numerals contrast with the sunken, white enamel dial, which would have cost its buyer an additional fee of $1.25 at the time it was made, according to the Illinois Catalogue. We finished this timepiece off with nickel-plated hardware and a navy band.
This Springfield’s highly decorated movement boasts 19 jewels, which are set with brass hardware. The carefully crafted Geneva lines, copper inlaid text, and rose gold gears all add to the movement’s flair. A brass balance wheel with double-roller escapement and brass regulator add to the high-class feel of this watch. Originally manufactured in 1922 by the Illinois Watch Company, this watch is still ticking along brilliantly 99 years later! In the same year on January 3rd, Thomas E Kirby became the first living person to make it onto a U.S. coin: the Alabama Centennial Half Dollar.
