Watch Description
What makes the Chicago 458 unique: Today, we’re excited to showcase this breathtaking piece originally manufactured by the Elgin National Watch Company in 1906 — the Chicago 458. The watch’s dial sports a beautiful light cream-colored background along with navy-blue minute and hour hands. The piece’s dark brown numerals feature outlines of a 45-degree angle text-shadow that complements the early 20th-century font style. We paired Elgin’s pocket watch with our pristine, scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case, which emphasizes the dial’s cream background, and we also equipped the pocket watch with a gorgeous gold-plated crown. The Machined Titanium case also allows you a clear view into the watch’s inner workings, where you can see its 347-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish and pendant setting. The movement also boasts serif-styled engravings with gilt coloring, including an authentic “G.M. Wheeler” engraving. The piece sports 17 jewels and gold-plated gears that match the gilt engravings. We tied the piece together with a Natural leather watch strap and gold-plated buckle that further emphasize the watch’s antique qualities. The Elgin National Watch Company crafted the pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1906 — the same year in which Cornell University founded the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the first intercollegiate African American fraternity. At the time, American universities largely excluded black students from participating in fraternities and sororities. Cornell graduate student Charles Cardoza Poindexter started a literary group that eventually became the official fraternity. The fraternity has had numerous notable members including Martin Luther King Jr., W. E. B. Du Bois, Duke Ellington, Lionel Richie, and Barry Jenkins. Additionally, Alpha Phi Alpha built the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.
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: Gold Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 12397964
- Manufacture Year: 1906
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Chicago 458 unique: Today, we’re excited to showcase this breathtaking piece originally manufactured by the Elgin National Watch Company in 1906 — the Chicago 458. The watch’s dial sports a beautiful light cream-colored background along with navy-blue minute and hour hands. The piece’s dark brown numerals feature outlines of a 45-degree angle text-shadow that complements the early 20th-century font style. We paired Elgin’s pocket watch with our pristine, scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case, which emphasizes the dial’s cream background, and we also equipped the pocket watch with a gorgeous gold-plated crown. The Machined Titanium case also allows you a clear view into the watch’s inner workings, where you can see its 347-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish and pendant setting. The movement also boasts serif-styled engravings with gilt coloring, including an authentic “G.M. Wheeler” engraving. The piece sports 17 jewels and gold-plated gears that match the gilt engravings. We tied the piece together with a Natural leather watch strap and gold-plated buckle that further emphasize the watch’s antique qualities. The Elgin National Watch Company crafted the pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1906 — the same year in which Cornell University founded the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the first intercollegiate African American fraternity. At the time, American universities largely excluded black students from participating in fraternities and sororities. Cornell graduate student Charles Cardoza Poindexter started a literary group that eventually became the official fraternity. The fraternity has had numerous notable members including Martin Luther King Jr., W. E. B. Du Bois, Duke Ellington, Lionel Richie, and Barry Jenkins. Additionally, Alpha Phi Alpha built the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.
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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.
