Watch Description
What makes the Chicago 070 unique:
The Chicago 070 boasts a captivating dial that radiates vintage charm and character. The textured, patinaed dial features vertical stripe engraving and bold, aged numerals that tell a story of over a century of use. The stunning blued hands, including classic kite-shaped hour and minute hands, provide a subtle contrast to the dial’s warm tones, making this piece both elegant and timeless. A traditional seconds subdial at the 6 o’clock position completes the design with a touch of classic sophistication.
Underneath the dial lies an authentic Elgin movement from 1919, crafted with 17 jewels for smooth and reliable operation. This manually wound mechanism reflects the precision engineering and attention to detail that defined American watchmaking during the early 20th century.
Encased in a tumbled stainless steel case with a rugged bronze crown, this watch exudes durability and style. The warm brown leather strap ties the entire piece together, creating a harmonious blend of vintage aesthetics and modern craftsmanship. The Chicago 070 is a true celebration of American horological history, ready to stand the test of time on your wrist.
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: 2025
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 45mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Tumbled Stainless Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Bronze
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 27159598
- Manufacture Year: 1919
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Chicago 070 unique:
The Chicago 070 boasts a captivating dial that radiates vintage charm and character. The textured, patinaed dial features vertical stripe engraving and bold, aged numerals that tell a story of over a century of use. The stunning blued hands, including classic kite-shaped hour and minute hands, provide a subtle contrast to the dial’s warm tones, making this piece both elegant and timeless. A traditional seconds subdial at the 6 o’clock position completes the design with a touch of classic sophistication.
Underneath the dial lies an authentic Elgin movement from 1919, crafted with 17 jewels for smooth and reliable operation. This manually wound mechanism reflects the precision engineering and attention to detail that defined American watchmaking during the early 20th century.
Encased in a tumbled stainless steel case with a rugged bronze crown, this watch exudes durability and style. The warm brown leather strap ties the entire piece together, creating a harmonious blend of vintage aesthetics and modern craftsmanship. The Chicago 070 is a true celebration of American horological history, ready to stand the test of time on your wrist.
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.
