Heritage Railroad Edition Watch Builder 001

Welcome to the Railroad Edition Watch Builder

Design your one-of-a-kind, Railroad Edition (51mm) watch starting with an antique, American-made, railroad grade pocket watch movement and dial. Each movement and dial combination is unique, and the pieces available are updated continuously, so come back often to check out new inventory!

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a design consultation (free of charge), an associate at Vortic is available by phone at 855-285-7884 or by email at info@vorticwatches.com.

Learn more about the Railroad Edition HERE.

Customize these features to build your watch:

Dial/Movement

Select a Dial

Case

Select a Case

Crown

Select a Crown

Strap

Select a Strap

Custom Engraving

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.

Dial/Movement

Railroad Edition watches contain a manually wound, mechanical movement (timekeeping mechanism) and dial (face) from an antique, American-made railroad grade, lever set pocket watch. Individuals commonly scrap pocket watch cases for their precious metal, leaving the original, approximately 100-year-old, mechanism orphaned. Vortic meticulously restores each timepiece to as close to original condition as possible.

Railroad grade pocket watches, also known as Standard watches, were explicitly made for railroad employees. As such, they were the highest quality and most sought after watches of the time. American railroads decided upon a rigorous set of regulations to qualify timepieces as “railroad grade” due to their role in maintaining schedules for the American rail system.

Every watch is covered by Vortic's 2-year, comprehensive warranty.

Click an image below to preview

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Under $3499

$3499-$3999

$4000+

Case

The Railroad Edition case is CNC milled from solid blocks of titanium or bronze. The titanium cases are much lighter than their bronze counterparts, but the bronze will take on a unique patina over time. A Black DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) coating is available for the titanium option.

A defining feature of all railroad grade watches is their setting mechanism. Instead of simply pulling out the crown to put the watch in "setting mode," the original railroad pocket watches required you to remove the front of the watch and actuate a lever to accomplish the same thing. This way, the time on these essential watches was never accidentally changed. Vortic's Railroad Edition of the American Artisan Series features a removable bezel that dramatically improves upon the original design. The Railroad Edition case protects the dial from access while the bezel is removed and is fully water resistant when the bezel is appropriately tightened.

The Railroad case is made for 16s railroad movements and features a 51mm diameter.

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Machined Bronze

Out of Stock

Standard

Machined Bronze cases have been CNC milled from a solid block of aluminum bronze. The watch will arrive shiny like the preview. Over time, it will take on a distinct, one-of-a-kind patina that is influenced by your lifestyle.

Machined Titanium

Out of Stock

Upgrade +$200

Machined Titanium cases have been CNC milled from a solid block of aerospace grade titanium. Titanium is the ultimate material for strength to weight ratio. Titanium has a darker look than steel, and due to its low thermal conductivity, feels warm to the touch. These characteristics create an enduring, highly wearable, distinctive piece.

Machined DLC Black

Out of Stock

Upgrade +$500

A DLC or "Diamond Like Carbon" coating is applied to our machined titanium case to create a uniquely black finish. While in the family of PVD coatings, DLC provides a small amount of transparency that allows us to see machine marks and surface detail while still appearing black. This coating is extremely durable and represents the best we have to offer.

Crown

The crown (winding knob) is located at 12 o'clock due to the pocket watch movement's orientation. All Railroad Edition crowns are custom machined in Vortic's workshop.

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Bronze

Standard

The bronze crown will gain a dark patina over time as it interacts with oxygen in the air and oils on your skin. It's made from the same material as the bronze case option.

Titanium

Standard

The titanium crown is made from the same material as the titanium case option.

Strap

Vortic's timeless leather straps are hand-crafted in the United States from domestically sourced leather. The standard strap features four different colors while the cordovan straps come in classic black or rich oxblood.

Horween's Shell Cordovan leather, tanned in Chicago, is highly sought after for its ability to take on character as it wears. The buckle is CNC machined at Vortic to match your crown finish selection.

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Natural

Standard

Black

Standard

Tan

Standard

Navy

Standard

Cordovan Black

Upgrade +$50

Cordovan Oxblood

Upgrade +$50

Custom Engraving

American Artisan Series watches may be personalized with laser engraving on the case back. If you are not interested in engraving you may skip this section.

Please enter the text that you would like engraved in the text box below. You will be contacted following the sale to confirm your selection.

NOTE - engraving will not appear on the watch preview

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Case Back

Upgrade +$100

Engrave the text of your choosing in one or two of the six sections on the case back. Each section allows up to 12 characters.

Total Price: $0.00

Review your selected options below and click the add to cart button when you are ready to order. An associate at Vortic will provide periodic updates and images of the finished build for final approval prior to shipment.

Normally it takes us a little over a month to build your custom watch, but occasionally it takes a few months to get a 100-year-old mechanism ready for your wrist.

Dial/Movement

Select a Dial

Case

Select a Case

Crown

Select a Crown

Strap

Select a Strap

Custom Engraving

None

Don't Want to Wait for a Made to Order Watch?

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