Watch Description
What makes the Chicago 475 unique: Today, we’re excited to showcase this antique piece initially manufactured by the Elgin National Watch Company nearly a century ago — the Chicago 475. This historic watch features a cream-colored dial with gilt, stylized numerals and light blue watch hands. We encased this one-of-a-kind pocket watch in our robust and scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case, and we paired it with a copper crown. On the back of the watch, you can view its 345-grade open-face movement with a going barrel, Moseley regulator, and Breguet hairspring. The piece also boasts gold-plated gears powered by 17 resplendent ruby and sapphire jewels atop its ¾ plate. We completed the piece by pairing it with our rustic and fashionable Tobacco leather watch strap. The Elgin National Watch company produced the original pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1926 — the same year that the United States passed the Air Commerce Act to regulate the aviation industry. In the early 20th century, flight accidents were common due to a lack of safety standards. In response, President Calvin Coolidge created a board to explore the option of creating federally-mandated safety regulations. The board found that safety regulations were necessary for the future of American aviation, and Congress passed the Air Commerce Act on May 20, 1926.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: 28888949
- Manufacture Year: 1926
- 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.
