Watch Description
The American mechanism inside this watch is not a replica or an "inspired" piece. It was genuinely carried by an individual, 100 years ago, that depended on it. Each time you wear this watch, you will be transported through time, imagining who this individual was and the work they did to help build our country. Simply put, American Artisan Series watches make you feel something when you put them on. At Vortic, we tell customers that owning a watch isn't nearly as important as owning a story. And, this is an opportunity to be a part of a story that is bigger than yourself. You won't be the first to own this watch, and you certainly won't be the last, so make your chapter count.
The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements. Individuals commonly scrap pocket watch cases for their precious metal, leaving the original mechanism orphaned. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880's - 1950's) pocket watch made by Burlington Watch Company. We call this model "The Burlington" because the company was located in Burlington, Illinois.
What makes the Burlington 024 unique: Today, we’re happy to feature this distinctly attractive and historic watch originally manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company in 1928 — the Burlington 024. This watch features an astonishingly breathtaking dial with black hour numerals as well as black and red minute numerals against its spotless white background. The front of the piece also features a distinct subdial that encompasses the “6” hour numeral and gorgeous blued steel diamond kite hands. Finally, the watch face features a “Burlington” label, referring to the Burlington Watch Company private label. We encased the Illinois Watch Company’s original pocket watch within our Bronzed Titanium case and equipped it with a nickel-plated crown, making the piece even more eye-catching. Our Bronzed Titanium case features an open back, enabling watch enthusiasts to view its 275-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish and pendant setting. The back of the watch also boasts a going barrel, center bridge plate, and gold-plated gears with 21 stunning jewels. To top the watch off, we matched it with our comfortable and fashionable Black leather watch strap, further emphasizing its sophisticated design.
The Illinois Pocket Watch initially produced the Burlington 024’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1928 — the same year that the Milam Building opened in downtown San Antonio, Texas. George Willis designed this impressive structure, and it was named after Benjamin Milam, who was an American war hero who captured San Antonio during the Texas Revolution. At the time of its construction, the Milam Building was the tallest brick and reinforced concrete building in the United States, and it was also the first domestic office building to feature built-in air conditioning.
The Illinois Pocket Watch initially produced the Burlington 024’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1928 — the same year that the Milam Building opened in downtown San Antonio, Texas. George Willis designed this impressive structure, and it was named after Benjamin Milam, who was an American war hero who captured San Antonio during the Texas Revolution. At the time of its construction, the Milam Building was the tallest brick and reinforced concrete building in the United States, and it was also the first domestic office building to feature built-in air conditioning.
Case Style:This case has been CNC milled from a solid block of aerospace grade titanium. We use pressurized, fine glass beads in a sandblasting chamber to soften the edges and make the finish uniform. 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.
Movement: The manually wound, antique, pocket watch movement inside this watch has been meticulously restored to as close to original condition as possible. Vortic has an exclusive group of highly experienced watchmakers that specialize in vintage watches. Before its use in a wristwatch, each movement is completely disassembled, cleaned, oiled, and calibrated. Each finished Vortic watch is tested for at least a week before completion.
This watch's movement is serial number 5005967 from the Burlington Watch Company. 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
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Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 46mm
- Height: 12mm
- Lug-to-Lug: 55mm
- Lugs: 22mm
- Case Finish: Sandblasted Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Gorilla Glass
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Burlington Watch Company
- Serial Number: 5005967
- Manufacture Year: 1928
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 21j
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Burlington 024 unique: Today, we’re happy to feature this distinctly attractive and historic watch originally manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company in 1928 — the Burlington 024. This watch features an astonishingly breathtaking dial with black hour numerals as well as black and red minute numerals against its spotless white background. The front of the piece also features a distinct subdial that encompasses the “6” hour numeral and gorgeous blued steel diamond kite hands. Finally, the watch face features a “Burlington” label, referring to the Burlington Watch Company private label. We encased the Illinois Watch Company’s original pocket watch within our Bronzed Titanium case and equipped it with a nickel-plated crown, making the piece even more eye-catching. Our Bronzed Titanium case features an open back, enabling watch enthusiasts to view its 275-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish and pendant setting. The back of the watch also boasts a going barrel, center bridge plate, and gold-plated gears with 21 stunning jewels. To top the watch off, we matched it with our comfortable and fashionable Black leather watch strap, further emphasizing its sophisticated design.
The Illinois Pocket Watch initially produced the Burlington 024’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1928 — the same year that the Milam Building opened in downtown San Antonio, Texas. George Willis designed this impressive structure, and it was named after Benjamin Milam, who was an American war hero who captured San Antonio during the Texas Revolution. At the time of its construction, the Milam Building was the tallest brick and reinforced concrete building in the United States, and it was also the first domestic office building to feature built-in air conditioning.
The Illinois Pocket Watch initially produced the Burlington 024’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1928 — the same year that the Milam Building opened in downtown San Antonio, Texas. George Willis designed this impressive structure, and it was named after Benjamin Milam, who was an American war hero who captured San Antonio during the Texas Revolution. At the time of its construction, the Milam Building was the tallest brick and reinforced concrete building in the United States, and it was also the first domestic office building to feature built-in air conditioning.
Quality Straps
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.
Mission
Our mission is to preserve and enhance the legacy of manufacturing excellence in America. We believe that this legacy is highly relevant in the world of watch manufacturing because our goal is to marry form and function in a way that makes something beautiful that will last forever. American made pocket watches were of such a high quality and decoration that they evolved into more than just a way to tell time. They became traditional heirlooms to be inherited by future generations as a wedding gift or a coming of age treasure. Each piece tells a lively tale of what U.S. manufacturing meant in the past using an intricate language of decorated bridges, plates, gears, and springs. Today, we are restoring these pieces to their former glory and making them relevant again using the best of modern technology.
American Made
We feel proud and blessed to live in the country, state, and city that we do. However, our motivation to build everything in the United States, and to deal locally whenever possible, is derived from a different source of inspiration. We believe that the close relationships, face-to-face interaction, and tight quality control we achieve while dealing domestically produces a truly superior product. Because of this, we are very transparent about where our components are made as we continue to build our in-house capabilities.
