Watch Description
What makes the Burlington 017 unique: Today we have the pleasure of presenting to you the absolutely spectacular Burlington 017, a watch that is sure to stand out amongst the rest. This perfectly clean and bright white dial with stark black numerals immediately jumps out and catches your eye, with such a wonderfully modern feel from this watch that is just over 100 years old. The Burlington Watch Company was a mail-order company that had almost all of its watches contract built by the Illinois Watch Company out of Springfield Illinois. They weren’t around for a very long time, coming on to the scene around 1908 and only selling watches until the mid to late 1920s. Most of the watches that they made during this time were 16 size and Railroad Grade watches, typically 19 jewel or higher. So with that being said, we are elated when we find this 21 jewel 12 size watch from Burlington. They are truly a testament to the craftsmanship and are some of the best quality watches that came out of the Illinois factory at that time. As we turn the watch over to reveal the movement within we are first drawn in to notice the unique shape of this bridge that is similar to a lot of what Illinois was making, but definitely its own custom shape and design specific to the Burlington style. A beautiful aged patina has given the different layers and build plates sort of a soft brass hue, that plays well with the rose-gold gears and brass balance wheel. Everything about this watch is the highest of quality and craftsmanship and it shows when you take the time to explore the inside of this watch. Originally manufactured in 1920, this is the very same year that the Treaty of Versailles was signed, officially marking the end of World War I.Movement Manufacturer Information
The movement inside of this watch was made by Burlington Watch Company. We call this model "The Burlington" because the company was located in Burlington, Illinois.
The Burlington Watch Company is unique in the sense that it did not manufacture its own watches. Only operating from 1908-1925, the Illinois Watch Company actually produced the vast majority of Burlington brand watches. The company sold watches by mail order on credit with payment plans. The called themselves the anti-trust watch saying that other companies fixed prices and forced consumers to pay extra because of the middleman. Their goal was to make high-quality watches available to those who couldn't normally afford them.
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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: DLC Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Gold Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Burlington Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3627123
- Manufacture Year: 1920
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 21 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.
