Watch Description
What makes the Chicago 065 unique: Chicago may be located in the heartland of America, but it is far from provincial. In the golden (no pun intended) era of American watchmaking, Chicago was a hub of sophistication with glittering Art Deco skyscrapers, glitzy nightlife, and international acclaim.
Today's Elgin represents that era of Chicago's opulence perfectly with an ornately stamped golden dial-center bordered by nearly flawless white enamel and punctuated by a polished, golden subdial and applied golden numerals in a font that complements the aesthetic of this timepiece that radiates outward to the bronze, coin-edged bezel.
A patinaed bronze crown creates an expertly curated transition from the flash of the watch face to the substance of our in-house-machined 45 mm steel case coated in a matte black DLC as dark as the November waters of Lake Michigan.
The 17-jewel movement is decorated with a pattern of radiating arches, shaded stripes, and geometric lines, and its gold-plated center wheel, balance wheel, and jewel fixtures reflect the glamour of 1919 Chicago as proudly as the dial.
On an Oxblood Cordovan strap, this piece exhibits a cohesive and elegant design that anyone, not just those in the Windy City, would be honored to wear.
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
- Model Year: 2024
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 45mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Black-DLC Stainless Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Bronze
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 21346415
- Manufacture Year: 1919
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Chicago 065 unique: Chicago may be located in the heartland of America, but it is far from provincial. In the golden (no pun intended) era of American watchmaking, Chicago was a hub of sophistication with glittering Art Deco skyscrapers, glitzy nightlife, and international acclaim.
Today's Elgin represents that era of Chicago's opulence perfectly with an ornately stamped golden dial-center bordered by nearly flawless white enamel and punctuated by a polished, golden subdial and applied golden numerals in a font that complements the aesthetic of this timepiece that radiates outward to the bronze, coin-edged bezel.
A patinaed bronze crown creates an expertly curated transition from the flash of the watch face to the substance of our in-house-machined 45 mm steel case coated in a matte black DLC as dark as the November waters of Lake Michigan.
The 17-jewel movement is decorated with a pattern of radiating arches, shaded stripes, and geometric lines, and its gold-plated center wheel, balance wheel, and jewel fixtures reflect the glamour of 1919 Chicago as proudly as the dial.
On an Oxblood Cordovan strap, this piece exhibits a cohesive and elegant design that anyone, not just those in the Windy City, would be honored to wear.
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.
