Upcycling The American Dream: The Story of Hamilton v. Vortic
A David & Goliath story of entrepreneurship, fortitude, and a little bit of luck.
This is the yet untold story of Vortic Watch Company’s 6-year legal battle with the SWATCH Group as written and narrated by Vortic's CEO, R.T. Custer, documenting his experience with and perspective on the landmark lawsuit “Hamilton International Ltd. v Vortic LLC.”
R.T. Custer and Tyler Wolfe started Vortic Watch Company on Kickstarter in 2014, were sued in 2015 before shipping a single watch, and defeated the SWATCH Group in Federal Court in 2021.
Come with R.T. as he takes you on an entrepreneurial journey and shares the obstacles this small team has faced in pursuit of the American Dream.
This documentary is a series of chapters documenting the story of “Hamilton v Vortic,” a federal lawsuit, a landmark case, and our David and Goliath adventure. It’s dedicated to R.T.’s mom, Jean DeLong Custer, who lost her battle with cancer before she could celebrate this victory with us.
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Introduction
Vortic Watch Company salvages antique American pocket watches and preserves them inside one-of-a-kind wristwatches called The American Artisan Series. The original Hamilton Watch Company was one of the Great American Watch Companies. They manufactured some of the best timepieces in the world in Lancaster, Pennsylvania between 1892 and 1969. A holding company acquired its assets, which later became the SWATCH Group in the 1970s.
In the federal lawsuit “Hamilton International Ltd. v. Vortic LLC” Hamilton accused Vortic of Counterfeiting and Trademark Infringement. They sued not only Vortic Watch Company but Robert Thomas Custer (R.T.) personally. They did not like that Vortic’s “The Lancaster” products still featured the original Hamilton brand on the dial.
Vortic and its attorney, Robert Lantz had to prove that taking an antique pocket watch and upcycling it into a wristwatch was legal. The industry calls it a pocket watch conversion. Hamilton called it an infringement. We here at Vortic call it “art.”
Chapter 1 - The Launch
In Chapter 1, R.T. Custer sits down with his co-founder, Tyler Wolfe to document the startup story of Vortic Watch Company. From the original ideas on the golf course at Penn State University in 2011 to the launch of the American Artisan Series on Kickstarter in 2014, the pair have a few laughs thinking back on how far they’ve come.
R.T. and Tyler discuss more behind the scenes, how it’s made stories as well as a few start-up facts that may have yet to be told. They celebrate the original success of the crowdfunding campaign, have a chuckle about how naive they were nearly a decade ago, and remember to feel proud of the work done so far in pursuit of their American Dream.
Stay tuned for weekly releases of each chapter, and don't forget to pre-order the book by subscribing above.
Chapter 2 - Cease & Desist
In this video, R.T. discusses the very beginning of the Hamilton v Vortic lawsuit with his co-founder Tyler Wolfe. They talk about something many don’t know: Vortic received the Cease & Desist letter before manufacturing and shipping a single watch.
The six-year Federal lawsuit started with an advertisement in WatchTime Magazine and an email from Goliath about how they didn’t like it. This was the beginning of a very tough season that R.T. and Tyler did not know how to handle.
Hamilton v. Vortic was not just about two watchmaking companies fighting over a trademark. It was a legal battle that had far-reaching consequences for the entire watchmaking and upcycling industry. The outcome of this trial would determine the extent of protection afforded to vintage watch parts and the ability of smaller companies to create and market unique products in the industry. But at this phase, the pair simply had to ask: “is what we’re doing okay?”
Chapter 3 - "The Letter"
In this video, R.T. talks about what it feels like to be sued by the largest company in your industry. He shares the plethora of other things he tried in order to avoid a lawsuit and a day in court including sending hundreds of emails and linkedin messages to most of the SWATCH executive team.
R.T. also shares what happened when he gave up and send one last hail mary. A personal, handwritten letter to the CEO. “The most expensive letter he ever sent” was met with mockery and a slap on the wrist.
Hamilton v. Vortic was a pivotal case in the watch and jewelry industry. Due to Vortic’s victory, Upcylcing is officially protected and can be legally defended. At this time though, R.T. shares just how difficult it was to stay in the fight, and how scary it was feeling so small and insignifcant compared to the opponent.
Chapter 4 - "The Deposition"
In this video, R.T. shares his experience with his official deposition in New York City. He takes us there with him, sharing what it felt like and looked like when his American Dream was at stake. The concept of Upcycling was referred to as trash-counterfeiting and he was called a grifter.
He talks about why most press and news outlets couldn’t or wouldn’t cover the case, thanks those that did listen and share, and discloses some of his personal experience involving his family and kids, especially what conversations about giving up looked like.
Hamilton v. Vortic was a Federal lawsuit spanning the majority of Vortic’s startup life, and R.T. Custer’s adult life. What would you do if 6 of the first 8 years of your working life was spent not just trying to grow a new company but also fighting off Goliath? R.T. takes us back and documents what that was like for him.
Chapter 5 - "The No-Show"
In this video, R.T. talks about the meeting that was supposed to take place between him and Hamilton's representative – what happened instead will shock you!
R.T. also reflects on the impact that the lawsuit had on his personal life, including the strain it put on his family and the difficult conversations they had about whether to give up or keep fighting. He shares his disappointment and frustration at the lack of response to his communication and the dismissive attitude he and the case got from Hamilton and SWATCH Group.
Through it all, R.T. remained committed to his vision of upcycling and the importance of preserving American history and craftsmanship. He shares his thoughts on the role of small businesses in society and the challenges they face when going up against larger corporations, as well as how much his business partner Tyler, his life partner Lindsay, and his wonderful team of employees meant to him.
Chapter 6 - "Words of Advice"
Coming Soon. Make sure you sign up to pre-order the book and you'll be notified when new chapters are available.
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