Launch Day Was a Success!
Thank you to all of our loyal customers who made this year's Military Edition release such a success! We're shifting gears here in the shop to focus on building (and soon shipping!) the Military Edition watches, but we do have some left, and it's not too late if you want one!
We sold over half of the 50 Fourth Editions in the first hour or so of the launch on Friday, and almost all of the 15 Special Editions in the first few minutes! As of right now, we have just TWO of the Special Editions left. If you want one of those, you should probably get one today!
The wait is finally over. The 4th annual military watches have arrived, and on today’s episode, we discuss how, even when 90 percent of things are running smoothly, bumps in the road can still happen. Our goal this year was to have all of the 50 military edition watches already manufactured and ready to ship by the time they went up for sale. Though everything was going well and we appeared to be on track, unfortunately, we were unable to accomplish this goal. Watch this episode to learn more about the processes behind building these watches!
We’re Building a Watch Company with R.T. Custer & Tyler Wolfe; giving you an inside look into what it takes to manufacture in America and build mechanical watches. We want to bring you along on all the successes, failures, innovations, and inventions that go into American manufacturing and watchmaking. Follow along as we restore vintage pocket watch movements and give them new life with Vortic Watch Co., and as we build a brand new watch company from scratch, focused on making high-quality American-machined watches.
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 pleased to present to you a remarkable wristwatch that’s powered by a pocket watch from nearly a century ago — the Springfield 549. The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured this stunning pocket watch, which features a sleek dial with black numerals that reside handsomely atop its spotless, white background. The front of this unforgettable watch also displays a helpful subdial and blued steel gothic watch hands. We encased the pocket watch within our robust Sandblasted Titanium case and topped it off with a nickel-plated crown, adding even more style to this straightforward yet elegant piece of history.
The rear side of the watch boasts a 405-grade open-face movement with a Going barrel, pendant setting, and nickel finish. You can also see the pocket watch’s powerful bronze-plated gears that are energized by 17 jewels throughout its center bridge plate. Finally, we complemented the watch with our breathtaking and comfortable Cordovan Black leather watch strap, tying together the watch’s graceful style.
The Illinois Watch Company initially released this pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year that President Warren G. Harding passed away from a heart attack while in office.
Harding made history by becoming the first sitting senator (R-OH) to be elected president, but his reputation after his death was largely tarnished due to various scandals, including corruption allegations and charges against his appointed cabinet members and infidelity. One such affair was with his Nan Britton, who birthed Harding’s illegitimate daughter, Elizabeth, two years before he took office.
This watch is a breathtaking antique watch originally manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company almost a century ago — the Lancaster 172. This remarkable piece of American manufacturing features a tan-colored dial with striking black numerals with a matching subdial. The front of this bold piece also displays blued-steel solid diamond kite watch hands. We paired this stunning pocket watch with our robust Bronzed Titanium case and a copper-plated crown, perfectly complementing the dial’s color palette.
On the back of the watch, you can see its antique 916-grade open-face movement with a ¾ plate, nickel finish, and pendant setting. The rear side of this stunning watch also boasts 17 eye-catching jewels that power the movement’s gold-plated gears. To top the piece off, we matched it with our comfortable Tobacco leather watch strap, making the final product even more unforgettable.
The Hamilton Watch Company initially released the Lancaster 172’s remarkable pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1923 — the same year that renowned American astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard passed away.
Barnard was known for identifying the proper motion for the red dwarf that’s now called “Barnard’s Star,” and he calculated that the star’s proper motion is 10.3 arcseconds every year in relation to the sun.
During his life, Edward Emerson Barnard received various awards for his achievements in astronomy, including the Lalande Prize, Janssen Medal, Prix Jules Janssen, and the Bruce Medal.
The 2022 Special Edition of the Military Edition Series is officially our new favorite watch. We're only building 15 of these... ever, and they're so rare we're not just saying that. We legitimately cannot produce more of these. For the Special Edition this year we chose to use a rare variant of the movement made for the US Army Air Corps for World War II, the Elgin 581 GCT.
This movement has an insanely cool and very rare feature; it's gold-plated... all of it. Only a fraction of the GCT Master Navigator movements were manufactured by Elgin, making this movement much rarer than the one inside our standard Military Edition watches.
To make this watch truly special, we decided to use a solid bronze case. This specific bronze alloy is very strong, not much heavier than the titanium cases we typically use, and will patina over time. We cannot wait to see pictures of these watches in a couple of years. The patina will be spectacular!
Part of Vortic’s only Limited Edition, the Military Edition is a set of wristwatches built from very special antique American pocket watches. The pocket watches inside these wristwatches were initially manufactured for the U.S. Army Air Corps and flown on the B-17s and similar bomber aircraft in World War II. It’s the ultimate military watch and has the most provenance of any product we’ve ever made.
These watches don’t just represent the past, but they also support the future. We will donate $500 from each watch to the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative which trains disabled military vets on how to become professional watchmakers. The average unemployment rate for disabled war veterans is 82%, and our donated funds will put a dent in that figure!
NOTE: These watches ship throughout December.
Vortic’s only Limited Edition, the Military Edition is a set of 50 wristwatches built from very special antique American pocket watches. The pocket watches inside these wristwatches were initially manufactured for the U.S. Army Air Corps and flown on the B-17s and similar bomber aircraft in World War II. It’s the ultimate military watch and has the most provenance of any product we’ve ever made.
Originally called the Master Navigators Watch, these Hamilton 4992B pocket watches were used to ensure our bombers were in the right place, at the right time. They were manufactured between 1938 and 1950 and were some of the most accurate time-keeping devices of the period.
These watches don’t just represent the past, but they also support the future. We will donate $500 from each watch to the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative which trains disabled military vets on how to become professional watchmakers. The average unemployment rate for disabled war veterans is 82%, and the funds we donate will put a dent in that figure!
If you've stared at pictures of the Military Edition for as long as we have, you'll notice the difference in the Fourth Edition for 2022. Check out that patinaed stainless steel case and new titanium crown! We decided to alter the color scheme for this edition to make it truly stand apart as its own unique set.
Finally, we needed a unique and different strap to make this watch stand out, but we couldn't decide, so we give you TWO! It'll come with brown bison leather and green military canvas straps.
Please note that slight variations in the dials, movements, and hands may occur as they are all unique pieces made about 80 years ago.
NOTE: These watches ship throughout November and December of 2022.
We’re pleased to feature this highly sophisticated piece that was initially released by the Illinois Watch Company in 1915 as today’s watch of the day — the Springfield 548. This remarkable and historic watch features stylish black hour numerals and blood-orange minute numerals that display stunningly against the dial’s pristine white background. The front of the piece also features a useful subdial and blued-steel diamond kite watch hands. We paired this handsome pocket watch with our gorgeous Bronzed Titanium case and topped it off with a copper-plated crown. Our case and crown make the front of this antique watch even more eye-catching.
In addition to unmatched style and protection, our Bronzed Titanium case also boasts a transparent back, enabling you and other watch enthusiasts to view the pocket watch’s original 405-grade open-face movement with a Going barrel, pendant setting, and nickel finish. You can also see the movement’s robust bronze-plated gears that are powered by 17 sumptuous-looking jewels throughout its center bridge plate. Finally, we matched this one-of-a-kind watch with our artisan-designed Stout leather watch strap, making the final product even more appealing.
The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured this historic piece in Springfield, Illinois, in 1915 — the same year that Babe Ruth hit his first career home run.
On May 6, 1915, the Boston Red Sox went head-to-head against the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds in Upper Manhattan. The game was 0-0 up until the third inning when Ruth had the opportunity to display his incredible left-hand batting talent. His hit sent the ball flying into the second tier of the stadium’s right-field grandstands.
Babe Ruth was only a rookie, but he showcased his tremendous talent and quickly became a legend on the field. He went on to win 18 games with the Red Sox that year, including the World Series.
We’re thrilled to present to you this breathtaking watch that was originally manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company — the Springfield 547. The front of this splendid watch boasts an antique, cream-colored dial with bold, golden-brown numerals and also features a distinct, aged center with blued steel solid diamond kite watch hands. We matched this elegant pocket watch with our opulent-looking and powerful PVD Zircon Gold case, and we topped it off with a gold-plated crown to highlight the patinated face.
On the back of the watch, you can see its antique 127-grade open-face movement with a Going barrel, nickel finish, pendant setting, and center bridge plate. The rear side of this stunning piece also displays robust and eye-catching gold-plated gears that are powered by 17 remarkable jewels. Finally, we paired this one-of-a-kind watch with our comfortable Cordovan Black leather watch strap, making this sophisticated timepiece even more unforgettable.
The Illinois Watch Company initially produced the Springfield 547’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1932 — the same year that Hattie Wyatt Caraway became the first woman to serve a full term as a United States Senator. Technically, the first woman to become a US Senator was Rebecca Latimer Felton of Georgia, but she only served a single day as a senator.
Hattie Caraway was born in Tennessee, but she was elected as a representative for Arkansas. She served as a US Senator until 1945 when she lost the Democratic nomination to J. William Fulbright.
