Watch Description
What makes The Chicago 095 unique:
The Chicago 095 is a masterclass in timeless legibility and early American refinement. Its dial is brilliantly crisp—a true, radiant white that creates sharp contrast with the deep black Roman numerals arranged around its perimeter. Surrounding the minute track are red, evenly spaced Arabic numerals in a classic railroad-style format, adding functional detail and visual rhythm. Hovering above the dial, a pair of heat-blued spade and whip hands offers striking elegance, while the recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock reinforces the watch’s historical charm and technical balance.
Inside, this timepiece is powered by a 17-jewel Elgin movement manufactured in 1926. Its visual intricacy is on full display through the open caseback, where delicate floral engravings, polished gears, and signature winding wheels combine to form a vivid tapestry of early American watchmaking. The ornate decoration across the bridges and gear train showcases the level of hand-finishing typical of the era, emphasizing both beauty and precision.
We’ve encased this antique movement in a machined stainless steel case, complete with a smooth polished bezel and our vertically grooved steel crown. The watch is paired with a black leather strap featuring light stitching that echoes the dial’s vintage tone, rounding out a piece that feels quietly bold and historically grounded.
In 1926, American inventor Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts. This milestone marked the dawn of modern rocketry—paving the way for future advancements in aerospace, engineering, and American technological ambition.
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: Machined Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 12716864
- Manufacture Year: 1907
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes The Chicago 095 unique:
The Chicago 095 is a masterclass in timeless legibility and early American refinement. Its dial is brilliantly crisp—a true, radiant white that creates sharp contrast with the deep black Roman numerals arranged around its perimeter. Surrounding the minute track are red, evenly spaced Arabic numerals in a classic railroad-style format, adding functional detail and visual rhythm. Hovering above the dial, a pair of heat-blued spade and whip hands offers striking elegance, while the recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock reinforces the watch’s historical charm and technical balance.
Inside, this timepiece is powered by a 17-jewel Elgin movement manufactured in 1926. Its visual intricacy is on full display through the open caseback, where delicate floral engravings, polished gears, and signature winding wheels combine to form a vivid tapestry of early American watchmaking. The ornate decoration across the bridges and gear train showcases the level of hand-finishing typical of the era, emphasizing both beauty and precision.
We’ve encased this antique movement in a machined stainless steel case, complete with a smooth polished bezel and our vertically grooved steel crown. The watch is paired with a black leather strap featuring light stitching that echoes the dial’s vintage tone, rounding out a piece that feels quietly bold and historically grounded.
In 1926, American inventor Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts. This milestone marked the dawn of modern rocketry—paving the way for future advancements in aerospace, engineering, and American technological ambition.
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.
