Watch Description
What makes the Chicago 518 unique: We’re pleased to present to you this unique antique that was originally manufactured by the Elgin National Watch Company in 1925 — the Chicago 518. This sophisticated watch features a single-sunk, cream-colored dial with a distinct center design with a checkered diamond pattern. The dial also displays stylish dark gray numerals, a clean subdial, and breathtaking blued-steel solid diamond kite watch hands. We encased this exquisite pocket watch within our robust Machined Titanium case and topped it off with a copper crown. On the back of the watch, you can see its original 345-grade open-face movement with eye-catching gold-plated gears and 17 screw-set ruby and sapphire jewels throughout its ¾ plate. This magnificent movement features a Going barrel, Breguet hairspring, Moseley regulator, double roller safety action, and Quick train. Finally, we tied the piece together with our comfortable Natural leather watch strap, which complements the historic dial while matching its crown.The Elgin National Watch Company initially released this pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1925 — the same year that the first Woman’s World’s Fair event was held in Chicago, which promoted and showcased female-produced ideas, professional innovations, and products. Ruth Hannah McCormick — who later served a term in the House of Representatives — and Helen Bennett came up with the idea for the event. The eight-day fair was completely run by women and included 280 booths that represented seventy occupations. There were many female professionals who displayed and discussed their careers and accomplishments, including artists, inventors, and lawyers. Over 200,000 people attended the event, and it featured notable female trailblazers like First Lady Grace Coolidge, Nellie Tayloe Ross, Dr. Alice Hamilton, Judge Kathryn Sellers, and Harriet Whitney Frishmuth.
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: Copper
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Elgin Watch Company
- Serial Number: 27962044
- Manufacture Year: 1925
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Elgin National Watch Company initially released this pocket watch in Elgin, Illinois, in 1925 — the same year that the first Woman’s World’s Fair event was held in Chicago, which promoted and showcased female-produced ideas, professional innovations, and products. Ruth Hannah McCormick — who later served a term in the House of Representatives — and Helen Bennett came up with the idea for the event. The eight-day fair was completely run by women and included 280 booths that represented seventy occupations. There were many female professionals who displayed and discussed their careers and accomplishments, including artists, inventors, and lawyers. Over 200,000 people attended the event, and it featured notable female trailblazers like First Lady Grace Coolidge, Nellie Tayloe Ross, Dr. Alice Hamilton, Judge Kathryn Sellers, and Harriet Whitney Frishmuth.
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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.
