Watch Description
What makes the Chicago 449 unique: We are happy to present to you this wonderful timepiece from the Elgin National Watch Company, our Chicago 449. We are amazed by the incredible details of this very clean and bright dial, with intricate gold and silver details all across the dial that really bring everything to life. The combination of Roman numerals with Arabic numerals around the outside is a unique touch and adds to the character of this dial. Our machined titanium case and nickel-plated hardware throughout continue the soft silver-colored theme and make for a perfect combination of visual interest. We love the subtle patina that covers the majority of the different surfaces inside this movement, showing its age and bringing attention to the fine details that have been intricately machined all throughout. 17 ruby jewels have been screw-set with stainless steel hardware, keeping everything spinning on track nicely. The spiral patterns on the mainspring barrel and crown wheel keep your eye spinning with the gold-plated gears beneath and add a little extra flair to the overall visual display. This watch was originally manufactured in Elgin, Illinois in 1922. Meanwhile, in Onawa, Iowa Christian Kent Nelson was hard at work securing the patent for his Eskimo Pie invention. Nelson was a schoolteacher and candy store owner and came up with the idea of the iconic ice cream bar when a boy in his store couldn’t decide to spend his money on ice cream or a chocolate bar.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
- 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: 24764118
- Manufacture Year: 1922
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
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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.
