Watch Description
The Chicago 404 is the 404th one-of-a-kind piece in Vortic's "Chicago" line of the American Artisan Series. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880’s – 1950’s) pocket watch. The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements.
What makes the Chicago 404 Unique: This stunning Elgin watch has had us absolutely captivated, and we can’t believe how lucky we are to have the opportunity to release it back into the world! The classic, clean dial features shadowed numerals with subtle minute indicators on vibrant, white enamel. We paired it with our gunmetal titanium case and a dark, yukon band to add contrast and finished the look with nickel-plated hardware throughout the watch. The rare and incredibly elegant 23 jewel movement brings this watch to life. The build plate has been carefully machined with intricate design and paired with a signature floral pattern on the regulator. Gold plated gears and brass balance wheel add to the visual appeal of this top-of-the-line timepiece from the Elgin National Watch Company. This watch was originally manufactured in Elgin, Illinois in 1898, over 123 years ago! This watch predates most automobiles in America, as Ford did not start building the Model A until 1903. The United States began a war with Spain in the same year, following the bombing of the USS Maine in the Havana Harbor. President McKinley was desperately trying to recruit soldiers, promoting Annie Oakley to try and encourage women to sign up as sharpshooters.
1898
7425906
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: 2021
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 47mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Machined Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number:
- Manufacture Year:
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 23 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Chicago 404 is the 404th one-of-a-kind piece in Vortic's "Chicago" line of the American Artisan Series. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880’s – 1950’s) pocket watch. The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements.
What makes the Chicago 404 Unique: This stunning Elgin watch has had us absolutely captivated, and we can’t believe how lucky we are to have the opportunity to release it back into the world! The classic, clean dial features shadowed numerals with subtle minute indicators on vibrant, white enamel. We paired it with our gunmetal titanium case and a dark, yukon band to add contrast and finished the look with nickel-plated hardware throughout the watch. The rare and incredibly elegant 23 jewel movement brings this watch to life. The build plate has been carefully machined with intricate design and paired with a signature floral pattern on the regulator. Gold plated gears and brass balance wheel add to the visual appeal of this top-of-the-line timepiece from the Elgin National Watch Company. This watch was originally manufactured in Elgin, Illinois in 1898, over 123 years ago! This watch predates most automobiles in America, as Ford did not start building the Model A until 1903. The United States began a war with Spain in the same year, following the bombing of the USS Maine in the Havana Harbor. President McKinley was desperately trying to recruit soldiers, promoting Annie Oakley to try and encourage women to sign up as sharpshooters.
1898
7425906
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.
