Watch Description
What makes the Chicago 503 unique: We’re delighted to showcase this elegant piece of history initially produced by the Elgin National Watch Company over a century ago — the Chicago 503. Our wristwatch’s original pocket features an immaculate cream-colored dial with thin black hour numerals and a matching subdial. The front of the watch also boasts blued steel spade & whip watch hands as well as red minute numerals that are in five-minute increments. We complemented the dial’s gorgeous cream color by encasing it within our Sandblasted Titanium case and topped it off with a nickel-plated crown. On the back of the watch, you can see its 384-grade open-face movement with 17 breathtaking screw-set ruby and sapphire jewels and sumptuous-looking gold-plated gears. The movement also boasts a Moseley regulator, Breguet hairspring, quick train, and going barrel. Finally, we matched this already-stunning watch with our handsome and comfortable Natural leather watch strap, making the one-of-a-kind piece even more remarkable.The Elgin National Watch Company originally manufactured this antique pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1921 — the same year Walter Anderson and Billy Ingram started the restaurant chain White Castle, the first fast-food hamburger chain. Walter Anderson originally started multiple diners a few years earlier and was looking to expand further. He met Billy Ingram, who was an insurance and real-estate salesman, and together they founded the chain in Wichita, Kansas. The pair’s initial challenge with opening the hamburger restaurant was changing public perception regarding ground beef. 15 years earlier, Upton Sinclair had published The Jungle, which depicts unseemly sanitary conditions and cruelty in the meatpacking industry. To combat this negative perception of ground beef, Anderson and Ingram introduced small restaurant buildings with stainless steel interiors to convey a sense of sanitation. They also made a great effort in making sure that their interiors and their employees’ uniforms were always clean. These efforts paid off, and White Castle laid the foundation for other fast-food hamburger chains. In 2014, Time magazine listed the restaurant’s famous Original Slider as “The Most Influential Burger of All Time.”
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: Sandblasted Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 23950898
- Manufacture Year: 1921
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Elgin National Watch Company originally manufactured this antique pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1921 — the same year Walter Anderson and Billy Ingram started the restaurant chain White Castle, the first fast-food hamburger chain. Walter Anderson originally started multiple diners a few years earlier and was looking to expand further. He met Billy Ingram, who was an insurance and real-estate salesman, and together they founded the chain in Wichita, Kansas. The pair’s initial challenge with opening the hamburger restaurant was changing public perception regarding ground beef. 15 years earlier, Upton Sinclair had published The Jungle, which depicts unseemly sanitary conditions and cruelty in the meatpacking industry. To combat this negative perception of ground beef, Anderson and Ingram introduced small restaurant buildings with stainless steel interiors to convey a sense of sanitation. They also made a great effort in making sure that their interiors and their employees’ uniforms were always clean. These efforts paid off, and White Castle laid the foundation for other fast-food hamburger chains. In 2014, Time magazine listed the restaurant’s famous Original Slider as “The Most Influential Burger of All Time.”
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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.
