Watch Description
What makes the Burlington 020 unique: Today, we are thrilled to present this stunning piece from the Illinois Watch Company — the Burlington 020. Originally manufactured in 1925 by the Illinois Watch Company, the Burlington 020 features a splashed dial design, bold type numbers, and a clear display case that reveals the intricate, stainless steel gears with gold and bronze details. The splashed black shadow on the dial resembles a Waning Gibbous moon, and the spots of ink depict a monsoon of black liquor. Our Diamond-Like Coating (DLC) case articulates with the bold patterns of the dial remarkably. Powered by 21 jewels, this 275-grade timepiece has an incredibly durable and scratch-resistant coating and is sure to last for many more years to come. Lastly, our Moss leather strap brings this exceptional timepiece together. This watch was originally produced in Springfield, Illinois, in 1925 — the same year that Xavier University, the 1st U.S. University for African Americans, opened in New Orleans. Fast forward to today, Xavier University is now revered as one of the top Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).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.
Legal Disclaimer: 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.
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: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Burlington Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4620389
- Manufacture Year: 1925
- 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.
