Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 158 unique: We’re thrilled to present to you this splendid watch dating all the way back to 1933 — the Lancaster 158. We can't seem to take our eyes off this stunning dial with a cream-colored background, contrasting dark grey accent ring, and olive-colored numerals. The front of the watch also boasts a luxurious-looking subdial and blued steel watch hands. We encased this stunning pocket watch within our Sandblasted Titanium case, complementing the dial’s color palette, and topped it off with a nickel-plated crown. On the back of the watch, you can see its impressive 912-grade open-face movement with a reed regulator, nickel finish, and pendant setting. The watch’s rear also boasts sumptuous gold-plated gears and 17 screw-set jewels throughout its ¾ plate. Finally, we paired this one-of-a-kind antique movement with our Olive leather watch strap, matching the dial’s distinct numerals.The Hamilton Watch Company initially produced the Lancaster 158’s gorgeous pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1933 — the same year that RKO Radio Pictures released the original King Kong film. The movie was a landmark for special effects and utilized several techniques to bring Kong and other creatures to life, including stop-motion animation, miniatures, and matte painting. Although the film debuted before the Hays Code — a repressive censorship code used in Hollywood from 1934 to 1968 that forbade profanity, graphic violence, sexual content, interracial relationships, and much more — King Kong was heavily censored after its initial release, and RKO didn’t retain the pre-censored footage. Fortunately, the cut footage was rediscovered in 1969, leading to Janus Films releasing a fully restored version in 1970.
Movement Manufacturer Information
The movement inside of this watch was made by Hamilton Watch Company. We call this model "The Lancaster" because the company was located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Hamilton is named after famous Pennsylvanian Alexander Hamilton and is the result of multiple re-organizations of attempted watch companies in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1892, Hamilton had a reputation for superior quality and maintained half of the railroad watch market share during some of the most prolific years of American railroad history. During World War II, Hamilton was integral to the production of accurate timepieces for the Military. Deemed "the watch that won the war," the company established an employee-run newsletter so that employees turned soldiers could keep up with life at the factory. While the original factory still stands as luxury apartments, the company stopped producing watches in the US in 1969. Hamilton now produces watches in Switzerland and is owned by the Swatch Group.
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 Dimensions:
- Diameter: 47mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Sandblasted Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3382207
- Manufacture Year: 1933
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Hamilton Watch Company initially produced the Lancaster 158’s gorgeous pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1933 — the same year that RKO Radio Pictures released the original King Kong film. The movie was a landmark for special effects and utilized several techniques to bring Kong and other creatures to life, including stop-motion animation, miniatures, and matte painting. Although the film debuted before the Hays Code — a repressive censorship code used in Hollywood from 1934 to 1968 that forbade profanity, graphic violence, sexual content, interracial relationships, and much more — King Kong was heavily censored after its initial release, and RKO didn’t retain the pre-censored footage. Fortunately, the cut footage was rediscovered in 1969, leading to Janus Films releasing a fully restored version in 1970.
Let customers speak for us
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.
