Watch Description
What makes the Chicago 456 unique:Today, we’re happy to present this breathtaking and distinct watch initially created by the Elgin National Watch Company in 1925 — the Chicago 456. This piece sports a highly unique cream-colored dial with dark gray minute and hour hands, while the subdial features a darker tone resembling a mix of cream and bronze. The center of the dial features intricately expanding circles stacked on top of one another just before reaching the numerals. The numerals are highly stylized with a unique text-shadow, and the dial also has small circular minute indicators. We paired the uniquely-styled pocket watch with our one-of-a-kind, scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case and bronze-coated crown. Our watch’s clear display case presents the intricate inner workings of its 345-grade open-face movement. 17 ruby and sapphire jewels power this piece along with its gold-plated gears. Finally, we improved the original pocket watch’s unique color scheme by equipping it with our signature tobacco leather watch strap. The Elgin National Watch Company initially created this piece in Elgin, Illinois, in 1925 — the same year in which Amtrak opened the Chicago Union Station in the Near West Side. The station is an iconic structure and features Corinthian columns and Bedford limestone Beaux-Arts facades. Construction on the station initially began in 1913, but production temporarily stopped because of World War I. Construction started back up in 1919 after World War I concluded in 1918, and the architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White finally completed the station in 1925. Today, the station is one of the busiest rail terminals in the United States and has around 140,000 passengers on a standard weekday.
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: Copper
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 27464763
- Manufacture Year: 1925
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
Today, we’re happy to present this breathtaking and distinct watch initially created by the Elgin National Watch Company in 1925 — the Chicago 456. This piece sports a highly unique cream-colored dial with dark gray minute and hour hands, while the subdial features a darker tone resembling a mix of cream and bronze. The center of the dial features intricately expanding circles stacked on top of one another just before reaching the numerals. The numerals are highly stylized with a unique text-shadow, and the dial also has small circular minute indicators. We paired the uniquely-styled pocket watch with our one-of-a-kind, scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case and bronze-coated crown. Our watch’s clear display case presents the intricate inner workings of its 345-grade open-face movement. 17 ruby and sapphire jewels power this piece along with its gold-plated gears. Finally, we improved the original pocket watch’s unique color scheme by equipping it with our signature tobacco leather watch strap. The Elgin National Watch Company initially created this piece in Elgin, Illinois, in 1925 — the same year in which Amtrak opened the Chicago Union Station in the Near West Side. The station is an iconic structure and features Corinthian columns and Bedford limestone Beaux-Arts facades. Construction on the station initially began in 1913, but production temporarily stopped because of World War I. Construction started back up in 1919 after World War I concluded in 1918, and the architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White finally completed the station in 1925. Today, the station is one of the busiest rail terminals in the United States and has around 140,000 passengers on a standard weekday.
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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.
