Watch Description
The Chicago 027 is a special watch we built just for Independence Day! As part of our American Artisan Series, this antique pocket watch movement and dial were originally manufactured by the Elgin Watch Company in the year 1912. This dial stood out to us as a rare and pristine example of hand-decorated grand feu enamel. We thought it deserved a special case, so we made a unique "striped" bezel to go along with the gold "stars" on the dial. This is the first time we've made a bezel like this, and we love how it turned out, especially for this watch. We used a blue strap with a red keeper to go along with our Fourth of July theme.
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.
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Watch Specifications
- Manufacturer: Vortic Watch Company
- Model Year: 2023
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 45mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Machined Stainless Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Blue leather with red keeper (blue keeper also included)
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 16521275
- Manufacture Year: 1912
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Chicago 027 is a special watch we built just for Independence Day! As part of our American Artisan Series, this antique pocket watch movement and dial were originally manufactured by the Elgin Watch Company in the year 1912. This dial stood out to us as a rare and pristine example of hand-decorated grand feu enamel. We thought it deserved a special case, so we made a unique "striped" bezel to go along with the gold "stars" on the dial. This is the first time we've made a bezel like this, and we love how it turned out, especially for this watch. We used a blue strap with a red keeper to go along with our Fourth of July theme.
Let customers speak for us
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.
