Watch Description
What makes the Chicago 013 unique: Today we are very pleased to release this gorgeous piece of American manufacturing history, originally released by the Elgin National Watch Company in 1927 — the Chicago 013. This remarkable antique movement features a splendid dial with large black numerals and blued steel extra-heavy spade & whip hands that look all the more stunning against its immaculate white background. This pocket watch movement sits proudly within our V3 Machined Titanium case, which perfectly complements the antique pocket watch. We also topped it off with a matching nickel-plated crown. On the back of the watch, you can see its breathtaking 387-grade open-face movement with a ¾ plate that boasts 17 screw-set ruby and sapphire jewels as well as gold-plated gears. The movement also features a Going barrel, Quick train, Moseley regulator, and Breguet hairspring. Finally, we tied the piece together with our comfortable and stylish Cordovan Black leather watch strap, a fitting and practical addition to this one-of-a-kind beauty.The Elgin National Watch Company initially produced the pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1927 — the same year that the Ford Model Company released the Ford Model A, the successor to their 1908 Model T. Ford produced this impressive car until 1932, and it featured a 201 cubic inch displacement (3.3 L) water-cooled L-head I4 engine. The vehicle had 40 horsepower and could reach a speed of around 65 mph. By the time Ford discontinued production of the vehicle in 1932, they had sold close to 5 million units.
Movement Manufacturer Information
The movement inside of this watch was made by Elgin Watch Company. We call this model "The Chicago" because of the company's proximity to the city.
Also known as Elgin National Watch Company, Elgin wasn't only the largest watch manufacturer in the United States, but the largest watch manufacturer in the world for almost 100 years, operating from 1864-1964. The company often used a depiction of father time on advertisements. At one point, the company was making 7,500 watch movements per week and had 2,300 employees. The factory was demolished in 1966 and replaced with a shopping center.
Legal Disclaimer: All product and company names, logos, brands, and other trademarks featured or referred to within Vortic's products and services are the property of their respective intellectual property rights holders, if any. Those intellectual property rights holders, other than Vortic, LLC, are not affiliated with Vortic, LLC, our products, or our website. They do not sponsor or endorse our materials.
Watch Specifications
- Manufacturer: Vortic Watch Company
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Diameter: 49mm
- Case Material: Machined Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 29324538
- Manufacture Year: 1927
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 16s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Elgin National Watch Company initially produced the pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1927 — the same year that the Ford Model Company released the Ford Model A, the successor to their 1908 Model T. Ford produced this impressive car until 1932, and it featured a 201 cubic inch displacement (3.3 L) water-cooled L-head I4 engine. The vehicle had 40 horsepower and could reach a speed of around 65 mph. By the time Ford discontinued production of the vehicle in 1932, they had sold close to 5 million units.
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The Movement
The engine that powers this watch is an antique American pocket watch movement. All the gears and springs that make it tell time are roughly 100 years old on average. We call these watches the American Artisan Series because we're celebrating the history and legacy of the artisan watchmakers who built this engineering marvel a century ago in the United States.
The Story
Today most pocket watches are scrapped for the gold or silver of the case (the outside of the antique timepiece), leaving the inside (what we call the "movement") as trash.
We take pride in upcycling these pieces of American history by salvaging as many as we can, then preserving them inside our wristwatches.
Our expert team of watchmakers restores the antique movement and then we manufacture a custom wristwatch case here in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The Strap
We partnered with Worn & Wound to produce a custom set of straps for our American Artisan Series watches. We now have 15 different colors to choose from including our two Horween Shell Cordovan options. These straps are made in the USA and are based on the Windup Model 2 Premium strap that Worn and Wound offers.
