Just the Weekly Roundup

Here's Your Weekly Roundup

Check out the images below for the Weekly Roundup of last week's Watch of the Day watches!

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!

The Springfield 398 (TODAY'S WATCH)

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. 

The Boston 397 (SOLD)

We knew right away when we saw this dial that it would be a perfect match for our new sandblasted titanium case. We love the subtle, metallic glint this watch gives off after pairing it with a copper crown. The soft, silver tones of the double-sunk dial and light gold, raised numerals help this watch shine, in addition to its unique floral pattern. To tie it all together, we added a tobacco strap and blue, kite-shaped hands.

17 jewels are friction set into this amazing build plate, with a fantastic checkerboard-machined pattern. The eye catching movement is nickel plated with stainless steel hardware. This Boston was originally manufactured by Waltham Watch Company in Waltham, Massachusetts in 1929. At the same time in Tennessee, The Seeing Eye was established by Dorothy Harrison Eustis and Morris Frank. This is the oldest seeing eye dog school in the country. Still one of the largest schools of its kind, The Seeing Eye still trains dogs today!

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 love sorting through the different dials and movements we restore to curate a unique set of watches for the week. We do our best to balance creating antique works of art that stand the test of time and creating clean timepieces for the modern man. Modern watch collectors often ask us about watches like the Springfield 397, which sports a vibrant, white dial and a set of clean, black numerals. It has classic appeal and all the character of a true masterpiece. We used our machined, titanium case, blue-steel diamond hands, and a black, cordovan strap to complete the classic feel before finishing it off with gold-plated hardware. You could wear this watch anywhere, anytime.

This Springfield’s movement, originally made in 1923, features a stunning radial pattern on the ¾ bridge plate, 17 screw set jewels, double roller escapement, and separate plates for the escape wheels. The “Capitol” marking on the movement tells us the movement was made in a small run, apart from the larger run of 405 Grade watches from the same year. At the same time this watch was being manufactured in Springfield, Illinois, the Hollywood sign was being erected in Los Angeles, California. It originally read, “Hollywoodland.” 

The Springfield 395 (SOLD)

This Springfield is one of the most unique watches we’ve come across. Its double-sunk dial features a soft, golden hue and a nickel-plated center. We paired it with a gold-plated crown and our sandblasted titanium case to accentuate the original two-tone coloring before adding its natural, brown band. As a finished watch, it looks like an incredible vintage timepiece reminiscent of the early 1920’s.

We love to show off these Illinois Autocrat movements whenever we get the chance, because they always have extra details that stand out from similar movements of the same period. Rose gold gears and a brass balance complement the copper inlay that can be seen within the text and the designs across the back of the movement. This particular movement’s wear and tear from its years of service are part of its character, and thanks to our expert watchmakers, it’s been restored to work like new. The Springfield 395 was originally manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois in 1921. In the same year, the very first White Castle restaurant opened in Wichita, Kansas, becoming the world's very first fast-food chain.

The Chicago 423 (SOLD)

This beautiful Elgin gives us roasted-coffee-in-the-morning feelings, with its perfectly aged dial and monochromatic cafe au lait tones. The eccentric numerals jump out at you with a shadow effect and their unique, angled shape. Sporting gothic style hands that complement the floral background, this watch has a way of showing off while still maintaining its understated aura. We sandblasted the titanium case to round out the look of the dial without overpowering it and topped it off with a gold-plated crown and natural band.

We love the way the movement has been carefully etched with such amazing detail. This is a beautiful example of an Elgin movement, with its unique bridge plate and signature regulator design. The 17 jewel screw set movement is powered by a Moseley regulator and a Breguet hairspring. This watch was originally manufactured in Elgin, Illinois in 1924 by the Elgin National Watch Company. 1924 also marks the very first year of the Winter Olympics. These Olympic games were held in Chamonix, France in a section of the French Alps.