Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 505 unique: Today, we're happy to present this historic piece originally manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company — the Springfield 505. The watch features a remarkable, aged dial with dark stylized numerals against its light-cream-colored background. The front of the timepiece also boasts teal gothic minute and hour hands. We matched this remarkable antique with our stylish and robust Machined Titanium case and copper crown, adding even more stunning sophistication to the watch. Our Machined Titanium case features an open back that reveals the pocket watch's 404-grade open-face movement with a center bridge plate. It also boasts a going barrel, bronze-plated gears, and 17 sumptuous jewels. Finally, we made this piece of history wearable with our Natural leather watch strap, complementing the watch's antique design. The Illinois Watch Company initially produced the Springfield 505's pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1918 — the same year that Opha May Johnson became the first woman to join the United States Marine Corps. In August 1918 — during World War I — the Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, allowed women to enlist for clerical work in the Marine Corps Reserve. After Johnson, 305 more women enlisted. Once World War I concluded, the Marine Corps and other US military branches disenrolled women. In 1948, Congress passed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act, which allowed women to join and remain in the Marine Corps and other military branches outside of wartime.Movement Manufacturer Information
The movement inside of this watch was made by Illinois Watch Company. We call this model "The Springfield" because the company was located in Springfield, Illinois.
Originally called the Springfield Watch Company, Illinois came to Springfield, Illinois in 1869 while the "modern" watch industry was fairly new but highly promising. City officials felt that the addition of industry to the city of Springfield would be excellent for the city's growth. However, after a series of failures and re-brandings, the company had a slow start until 1903 when they decided to manufacture high-quality watches only. Eventually making some of the most beautiful watches of their time, the company sold to Hamilton in 1927. Hamilton continued producing watches under the Illinois name for some time, but the original Springfield factory no longer stands.
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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: Machined Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Copper
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3299914
- Manufacture Year: 1918
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
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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.
