Watch Description
What makes the Chicago 012 unique: We’re excited to bring you a remarkable piece of timekeeping history with today’s watch that the Elgin National Watch Company initially built in 1928 — the Chicago 012. This piece’s elegant face features a crisp, white dial with black hour numerals and deep, red minute numerals. The dial is further complemented by this watch’s eye-catching blued-steel cathedral hands and convenient subdial. We have paired this striking antique movement with our V3 machined titanium case and topped it with a titanium crown to complement the clean lines of the dial. The rear of the watch, which is showcased through our unique clear-backed case, mirrors the elegance displayed in the watch’s face. The stunning ¾ plate features an intricate engraving that encircles the polished-nickel movement. In addition to the plate, this movement also features 17 stunning, screw-set jewels encircled by shining gold-plated gears. To highlight the dial’s beauty even further, we have attached our comfortable, black leather watch strap.In 1928, the same year this watch was manufactured in Elgin, Illinois, Charles Jenkins from Washington D.C. filed for the first television license from the Federal Radio Commission. Jenkins was a pioneer in television and invented a mechanical television system that utilized a rotating disk with holes arranged in a spiral pattern. He also established the first commercial television station in the states, W3XK, which first aired from Jenkins Labs in DC five nights a week.
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: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 30533037
- Manufacture Year: 1928
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 16s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
In 1928, the same year this watch was manufactured in Elgin, Illinois, Charles Jenkins from Washington D.C. filed for the first television license from the Federal Radio Commission. Jenkins was a pioneer in television and invented a mechanical television system that utilized a rotating disk with holes arranged in a spiral pattern. He also established the first commercial television station in the states, W3XK, which first aired from Jenkins Labs in DC five nights a week.
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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.
