Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 506 unique: Today, we’re thrilled to present this one-of-a-kind timepiece initially produced by the Illinois Watch Company nearly a century ago — the Springfield 506. The watch boasts an antique dial with royal blue heavy moon watch hands glimmering vividly against its cream-colored background. The dial also features stunning black numerals with an early-20th-century style, showcasing the piece’s historicity. We encased the original pocket watch within our gleaming, robust Machined Titanium case and paired it with a nickel-plated crown, complementing the dial’s color and design. Our Machined Titanium case features a transparent back that reveals the watch’s remarkable inner workings, including a 405-grade open-face movement and going barrel. The piece also displays breathtaking bronze-plated gears powered by 17 luxurious jewels throughout its center bridge plate. Finally, we matched this piece of history with our comfortable, artisan-designed Moss leather watch strap, making the final product even more stylish. The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured the Springfield 506’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year that the Amateur Athletic Union hosted the first-ever women’s track and field championships in the United States. The American public became more interested in supporting female-driven sports after the International Women’s Sports Federation hosted the Women’s World Games in Paris in 1922. On September 29, 1923, the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships took place at Weequahic Park in Newark, New Jersey. The event served as an important landmark for the advancement of women’s sports in the United States.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: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4389913
- Manufacture Year: 1923
- 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.
