Watch Description
What makes The Chicago 108 unique:
The Chicago 108 stands out with a softly aged, green-tinted dial that has developed a natural patina over the past century. A full ring of minute markers frames the layout, while bold Art Deco numerals—with a distinct drop shadow that adds depth and dimension—give the dial a confident personality. We preserved the original heat-blued moon hands, which sweep cleanly across the surface and offer excellent contrast against the pale green tone. At 6 o’clock, a crisp and uncluttered sub-seconds dial adds balance, its thin numerals and smooth texture tying the entire design together.
Inside, this watch is powered by a 17-jewel Elgin movement manufactured in 1925. Through the open caseback, you’ll see beautifully executed decorative engraving across the bridges, paired with polished steel elements and gold-toned gears that catch the light. These components showcase the meticulous detail Elgin was known for, and after nearly a century, the movement remains both visually compelling and mechanically reliable.
We housed this movement in a sandblasted stainless-steel case that creates a muted, stone-like finish, paired with a smooth sandblasted bezel that keeps the design understated and cohesive. The vertically knurled sandblasted-steel crown adds functional grip and complements the rest of the case texture. Completing the watch is an oxblood leather strap with contrasting stitching, a warm tone that enhances the green dial and ties together the watch’s vintage-meets-modern character.
In 1925, when this movement was originally produced, the American railroad system reached a major modernization milestone: the widespread adoption of standardized automatic block-signal systems dramatically increased both safety and efficiency across major routes. It was a defining moment in U.S. transportation history—and a fitting parallel to the precision timekeeping that companies like Elgin were engineering at the same time.
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: Sandblasted Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 27464268
- Manufacture Year: 1925
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes The Chicago 108 unique:
The Chicago 108 stands out with a softly aged, green-tinted dial that has developed a natural patina over the past century. A full ring of minute markers frames the layout, while bold Art Deco numerals—with a distinct drop shadow that adds depth and dimension—give the dial a confident personality. We preserved the original heat-blued moon hands, which sweep cleanly across the surface and offer excellent contrast against the pale green tone. At 6 o’clock, a crisp and uncluttered sub-seconds dial adds balance, its thin numerals and smooth texture tying the entire design together.
Inside, this watch is powered by a 17-jewel Elgin movement manufactured in 1925. Through the open caseback, you’ll see beautifully executed decorative engraving across the bridges, paired with polished steel elements and gold-toned gears that catch the light. These components showcase the meticulous detail Elgin was known for, and after nearly a century, the movement remains both visually compelling and mechanically reliable.
We housed this movement in a sandblasted stainless-steel case that creates a muted, stone-like finish, paired with a smooth sandblasted bezel that keeps the design understated and cohesive. The vertically knurled sandblasted-steel crown adds functional grip and complements the rest of the case texture. Completing the watch is an oxblood leather strap with contrasting stitching, a warm tone that enhances the green dial and ties together the watch’s vintage-meets-modern character.
In 1925, when this movement was originally produced, the American railroad system reached a major modernization milestone: the widespread adoption of standardized automatic block-signal systems dramatically increased both safety and efficiency across major routes. It was a defining moment in U.S. transportation history—and a fitting parallel to the precision timekeeping that companies like Elgin were engineering at the same time.
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.
