Watch Description
What makes The Chicago 088 unique:
The Chicago 088 features a lightly patinaed, silver-toned dial with a deeply textured, engraved center that gives this piece its distinct personality. The intricate pattern catches light across a circular guilloché, framed by bold, dark numerals and a rail-style minute track. Subtle speckling across the dial tells its own story of time passed, while a recessed sub-seconds dial and a set of striking solid diamond-kite hands in heat-blued steel complete the look with precision and flair. Altogether, the dial’s refined elegance balances the energy of its ornate center, giving this watch a distinctly handsome presence on the wrist.
At its heart is a 17-jewel Elgin movement from 1926, proudly American-made and finished with stunning bridgework. Look closely, and you’ll see a faint geometric pattern across the plates—an uncommon and beautiful detail from this production era. Gold-plated gears peek through the carefully preserved open-face configuration, offering a glimpse of the craftsmanship Elgin was known for.
We encased this movement in a 45mm sandblasted titanium case with a polished titanium angled bezel for a clean yet industrial feel. The vertically grooved crown mirrors that tactile precision, while the watch is paired with a black Horween leather strap with natural stitching—a choice that complements the cooler tones of the dial and hands.
In 1926, American physicist Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket—a pioneering moment in engineering that would shape the future of space exploration. It was a bold step forward in American innovation, and The Chicago 088 carries that same sense of precision and enduring ambition, reimagined as a timeless mechanical wristwatch.
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: 2025
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 45mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Sandblasted Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 28787967
- Manufacture Year: 1926
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes The Chicago 088 unique:
The Chicago 088 features a lightly patinaed, silver-toned dial with a deeply textured, engraved center that gives this piece its distinct personality. The intricate pattern catches light across a circular guilloché, framed by bold, dark numerals and a rail-style minute track. Subtle speckling across the dial tells its own story of time passed, while a recessed sub-seconds dial and a set of striking solid diamond-kite hands in heat-blued steel complete the look with precision and flair. Altogether, the dial’s refined elegance balances the energy of its ornate center, giving this watch a distinctly handsome presence on the wrist.
At its heart is a 17-jewel Elgin movement from 1926, proudly American-made and finished with stunning bridgework. Look closely, and you’ll see a faint geometric pattern across the plates—an uncommon and beautiful detail from this production era. Gold-plated gears peek through the carefully preserved open-face configuration, offering a glimpse of the craftsmanship Elgin was known for.
We encased this movement in a 45mm sandblasted titanium case with a polished titanium angled bezel for a clean yet industrial feel. The vertically grooved crown mirrors that tactile precision, while the watch is paired with a black Horween leather strap with natural stitching—a choice that complements the cooler tones of the dial and hands.
In 1926, American physicist Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket—a pioneering moment in engineering that would shape the future of space exploration. It was a bold step forward in American innovation, and The Chicago 088 carries that same sense of precision and enduring ambition, reimagined as a timeless mechanical wristwatch.
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.
