Watch Description
What makes the Chicago 009 unique:Today, we’re delighted to feature this historic watch originally manufactured by the Elgin National Watch Company in 1898 — the Chicago 009. The original pocket watch features a remarkably sophisticated dial with a pristine white background and small star ornaments between its numerals. The dial also boasts gold-colored Louis XIV watch hands and black Roman numerals. We complemented this one-of-a-kind antique with our robust and scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case and equipped it with a matching nickel-plated crown. Our Machined Titanium case features an open back, revealing the timepiece’s stunning 153-grade hunting movement with a nickel finish and pendant setting. The historic movement also features a breathtaking “Elgin Natl. Watch Co” engraving and bronze-plated gears powered by 17 screw-set jewels. To finish off the final product, we paired the timepiece with our remarkable leather watch strap, making this antique piece wearable and even more eye-catching. The Elgin National Watch Company initially produced the Chicago 009’s pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1898 — the same year Guam became a U.S. island territory. The United States gained control of Guam in the Treaty of Paris of 1898, which ended the Spanish-American War. Spain’s loss of Guam, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines after the Spanish-American War marked the end of Spain’s reign as a world power.
Movement Manufacturer Information
The movement inside of this watch was made by Elgin Watch Company. We call this model "The Chicago" because of the company's proximity to the city.
Also known as Elgin National Watch Company, Elgin wasn't only the largest watch manufacturer in the United States, but the largest watch manufacturer in the world for almost 100 years, operating from 1864-1964. The company often used a depiction of father time on advertisements. At one point, the company was making 7,500 watch movements per week and had 2,300 employees. The factory was demolished in 1966 and replaced with a shopping center.
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 Diameter: 49mm
- Case Material: Machined Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 7323776
- Manufacture Year: 1898
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 16s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
Today, we’re delighted to feature this historic watch originally manufactured by the Elgin National Watch Company in 1898 — the Chicago 009. The original pocket watch features a remarkably sophisticated dial with a pristine white background and small star ornaments between its numerals. The dial also boasts gold-colored Louis XIV watch hands and black Roman numerals. We complemented this one-of-a-kind antique with our robust and scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case and equipped it with a matching nickel-plated crown. Our Machined Titanium case features an open back, revealing the timepiece’s stunning 153-grade hunting movement with a nickel finish and pendant setting. The historic movement also features a breathtaking “Elgin Natl. Watch Co” engraving and bronze-plated gears powered by 17 screw-set jewels. To finish off the final product, we paired the timepiece with our remarkable leather watch strap, making this antique piece wearable and even more eye-catching. The Elgin National Watch Company initially produced the Chicago 009’s pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1898 — the same year Guam became a U.S. island territory. The United States gained control of Guam in the Treaty of Paris of 1898, which ended the Spanish-American War. Spain’s loss of Guam, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines after the Spanish-American War marked the end of Spain’s reign as a world power.
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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.
