Watch Description
What makes the Chicago 472 unique: Today, we’re happy to display this sophisticated piece originally produced by the Elgin National Watch Company in 1920 — the Chicago 472. The timepiece sports a dial with a pristine, white background and bold numerals. The dial also features dark gray minute and hour hands. We paired this elegant yet straightforward pocket watch with our powerful Machined Titanium case and nickel-plated crown. The case and crown glimmer impressively and add even more brilliance to the piece. The Machined Titanium’s clear back allows you to view the timepiece’s breathtaking 345-grade open-face movement as well as other stunning details, including a Breguet hairspring and Moseley regulator. The watch also features lavish-looking gold-plated gears powered by 17 screw-set ruby and sapphire jewels. To top it all off, we equipped the watch with our comfortable, one-of-a-kind Mojave leather watch strap, adding a rustic touch to the distinguished timepiece. The Elgin National Watch Company initially manufactured the pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1920 — the same year that the United States had its first commercial broadcast. The Pittsburgh-based AM radio station KDKA made the first radio broadcast on November 2 to report the presidential election results. That year, Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge trounced James M. Cox and Franklin D. Roosevelt by 277 electoral votes, and Harding won the popular vote by over 7 million votes. Although the KDKA’s election coverage was a groundbreaking moment in US broadcast history, only around 1000 people heard it.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.
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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: 22378629
- Manufacture Year: 1920
- 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.
