The Time Has Come!
We have your weekly round-up below, but first... a surprise.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS YET!?
... HOW ABOUT NOW!?
Last week we said we had a surprise announcement for you, and here it is! Introducing the Military Edition, 3rd Iteration for 2021!
Each year on Veterans Day (November 11th), we release a limited edition set of what we call the Military Edition. Featuring antique American pocket watches flown on the bombers in the Second World War, this is the ultimate piece of military history on the wrist.
This is our 3rd Edition, and each year we've made a few changes to keep the limited sets special. For 2021 we designed and manufactured the case, crown, buckle and other metal components from 316L stainless steel, making this Vortic's first steel watch.
This year we only have 50 of these available. We're keeping it simple and not doing any other special editions, just these.
Mark your calendars! The Military Edition will be available for purchase at 12:00 pm Mountain Time, November 11th.
In 2019 we sold almost all of them the first day and they were sold out by the end of the week. In 2020 the special edition sold out in minutes and the rest sold out in hours. Considering our recent demand we expect this year's set to go even faster.
The 3rd iteration of the Military Edition will be priced at $6,995. As always, $500 from the sale of each watch will be donated to the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative.
Something else is new this year too... instant gratification! The first 10 people to purchase will receive their watch within one week, and the other 40 will be shipped by the end of the year (made to order).
We have a separate email list dedicated to the Military Edition where we'll send a lot more information, answer all your Frequently Asked Questions, and provide more photos and videos of the watch ahead of launch. Click the link below to learn more and add yourself to that list.
Alternatively, if you know you want to buy this watch, reply to this email and we'll personally make sure you're on the Military Edition Waiting List and answer any and all questions you have via email.
Here's your Weekly Roundup!
The time is now (pun intended) to pick your one-of-a-kind Vortic Watch. Our team has been working hard to provide you with a variety of unique timepieces. Take a look, there's something for everyone!
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 tend to sell quickly.
We are very excited to present this very unique and special timepiece from the Illinois Watch Company, our Springfield 443. We are absolutely captivated by the blue numerals and blued-steel hands that stand out on this soft, slightly aged dial. The machined titanium case and nickel-plated crown compliment this watch perfectly along with our light-colored Yukon strap. This watch has the perfect balance of modern with antique accents and will surely be the centerpiece of conversation.
Once you turn this watch over, the beautiful design elements continue on this amazing movement. Geneva lines all across the separate bridge plates add to the sophisticated look of this movement, adorned with 17 screw-set jewels and stainless steel hardware throughout. Rose-gold gears and a brass balance wheel add a nice touch of precious metals and keep the sense of visual movement continuing all around the different elements inside this watch. Originally produced in Springfield, Illinois in 1924, the same year that Vladimir Lenin died, with Joseph Stalin taking his place as his successor and leader of Russia.
We are very excited to release this truly special timepiece from the Waltham Watch Company, our Boston 382. This watch is actually one of the oldest watches we have ever created, with the original production date being 1896. We are not surprised to see the Roman Numerals on this watch as it was a more common design feature for watches prior to 1900, however, the combination of Arabic numerals as minute indicators around the outer edge is a very nice touch.
We chose these beautiful burgundy open-spade hands and our merlot strap to compliment the red of the dial and truly love how it turned out. A copper crown and hardware completes the look and ties everything together perfectly inside of our sandblasted titanium case. As we turn this watch over to reveal the gears inside, we are absolutely astonished by the quality and condition of this incredibly old timepiece. All of these intricate patterns machined into the build plate were created using a Rose-Engine lathe and we love how the design keeps your eye moving all around the entire piece continuously.
Underneath we see the gold-plated gears that keep everything moving correctly, pivoting on 17 screw set jewels. A nice visual balance of nickel-plating and precious metals helps this watch stand out and is a testament to the craftsmanship of the time. In April of 1896, the very first iteration of the modern era Olympic Games was held in Athens, Greece. 14 nations participated in the events, with 241 athletes. The United States of America was the only country outside of Europe to compete and ended up taking home the most gold medals with 11.
The Springfield 441 (SOLD)
Today we bring you this gorgeous watch originally manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company of Springfield, Illinois. At the time when this watch was originally manufactured, it was commonplace for small companies or individuals to special order dials that represented their brand or had a custom insignia on them. It was also a very common practice for private jewelers to have small runs of watches that were specific to their store or lineage.
We assume that this incredibly rare and unique dial fits into one of these categories, as the only information we have found is that it resembles the look of an antique French military flag. Perhaps this dial was an homage to someone’s French heritage, or perhaps this is a design that represents a family or lineage. Either way, we love to search through old catalogs from these companies to try and tell a better story of each and every unique watch that we make. As if the front of this watch wasn’t enough, the movement inside is sure to impress anyone who sets their eyes upon it. A beautiful display of 21 screw-set jewels keeps these gold-plated gears spinning perfectly all these years later.
A brass balance wheel and hardware stand out nicely from this nickel-plated build plate that has been carefully machined with Geneva lines all throughout. The original production year for this watch was 1926, a time when technological innovations were thriving with new ideas being produced every day. Among these inventors was John Logie Baird, a Scottish innovator who demonstrated a mechanical television system at his London Laboratory for a reporter from The Times as well as members of the Royal Institution.
We happily present this incredibly unique timepiece from the Hamilton Watch Company, our Lancaster 107. We are immediately drawn in by the character that is displayed on this very aged dial. We love to imagine what might have contributed to the discoloration on the face over the years. This dial works so well with the tone of the strap and copper crown! These bold numerals and dark hands contrast perfectly and stand out against our custom machined titanium case.
We always enjoy the design and reliability of these fantastic Hamilton 912 movements, and this one is no exception. Very clean lines all across the bridge plate stand out from the gold-plated gears and spiral patterns on the crown and mainspring wheels. Adorned by 17 amazing jewels, and topped off with stainless steel hardware all throughout, this watch was originally manufactured in 1935 by the Hamilton Watch Company in Lancaster Pennsylvania. In this same year, Amelia Earhart became the first person to fly solo from Hawaii to California.
We bring you this beautiful timepiece from the Illinois Watch Company, our Springfield 442. We really enjoy the visual display of this watch that reaches out and grabs your attention right away and brings you in for a closer look. The bright shimmer of the machined titanium case brings out the finer details of this double-sunk dial and the intricate machine work within the center. The dark angular numerals stand out as well as these blued-steel open-kite hands. We added a stone strap to soften off the feel a bit, as well as a nickel-plated crown and hardware throughout. The movement inside of this watch begs to be shown off and explored, with all of these wonderful precious metal elements that are sprinkled all through the inside.
Rose-gold gears and a brass balance wheel combine perfectly with the brass hardware that sets in all 21 of these precious jewels, while this amazing build plate with carefully machined Geneva lines draws everything together nicely. This watch was originally manufactured in 1926 by the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois. At the time when this watch was sold, depending on the content of gold in the original case, this watch would have been sold for anywhere between $180-$200. At the very same time, land in New York City on Broadway and Wall Street hit a record-breaking $7 per square inch.
