Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 539 unique: Today, we’re excited to showcase this remarkable piece initially produced by the Illinois Watch Company nearly a century ago — the Springfield 539. This gorgeous pocket watch features a tan, glimmering dial with black, stylish numerals, and a matching subdial. The face of this watch also proudly displays its original blued steel diamond kite watch hands. We matched the Illinois Watch Company’s antique pocket watch with our robust Machined Titanium case and a nickel-plated crown, emphasizing the piece’s sophisticated dial. Our Machined Titanium case features an open back, enabling watch enthusiasts to view its historic 405-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish and pendant setting. The movement also features a gilt engraving that reads “The Autocrat,” a fitting description for this elegant, one-of-a-kind piece. Finally, the back of the watch features gold-plated gears and 17 jewels throughout. We equipped this handsome watch with our comfortable, artisan-designed black leather watch strap, making the final product even more special.The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured the Springfield 539’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year as the Honda Point disaster, the most devastating loss of U.S. Navy ships during peacetime. Due to heavy fog and a risky training exercise that was supposed to emulate wartime navigation, seven destroyers struck the Honda Point in Santa Barbara County, California, leading to 23 sailor casualties. In response to the tragedy, the Navy court-martialed eleven officers, including Captain Edward Howe Watson, who gave the order for the Navy ships to stay in close formation and not slow down as they approached the Honda Point.
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: 4183286
- Manufacture Year: 1923
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured the Springfield 539’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year as the Honda Point disaster, the most devastating loss of U.S. Navy ships during peacetime. Due to heavy fog and a risky training exercise that was supposed to emulate wartime navigation, seven destroyers struck the Honda Point in Santa Barbara County, California, leading to 23 sailor casualties. In response to the tragedy, the Navy court-martialed eleven officers, including Captain Edward Howe Watson, who gave the order for the Navy ships to stay in close formation and not slow down as they approached the Honda Point.
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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.
