Watch Description
What Makes The Cleveland 005 Unique:
The Cleveland 005 brings together the disciplined engineering standards of early American railroad timekeeping with a darker, more contemporary execution. Built around a 19-jewel Ball movement manufactured in 1926, this watch reflects an era when precision was not simply desirable, it was required.
Collectors immediately recognize the significance of the Ball name. Unlike many American brands of the period, Ball itself was not primarily a movement manufacturer. Instead, the company became famous for establishing and enforcing railroad timing standards after catastrophic rail accidents highlighted the dangers of inconsistent timekeeping. Watches carrying the Ball name were expected to meet exceptionally strict standards, and movements selected for Ball use represented some of the finest examples of American watchmaking available at the time.
The dial immediately draws attention through its balance of utility and character. Rather than a perfectly clean white surface, the dial carries a warm ivory tone with a finely textured, almost granular finish that gives the watch a sense of depth and age. Bold black Arabic numerals maintain excellent readability while ornate blued openwork hands introduce an unexpected level of elegance. At 6 o’clock, the recessed sub-seconds register preserves the original pocket watch proportions while adding another layer of visual detail through its finely printed railroad-style track.
Collectors will appreciate the way this dial walks a line between functionality and ornamentation. The composition remains highly legible, but small details reveal themselves over time. Subtle aging around the surface, natural imperfections, and the softly textured finish serve as reminders that this dial has spent nearly a century existing in the world rather than waiting untouched inside a display case.
Turning the watch over reveals the movement itself, where utility and finishing meet equally well. The 19-jewel movement displays striped damaskeening across its bridges, polished steel components, gold-toned gearing, and carefully placed jewel settings that create depth throughout the architecture. Higher jewel counts of this period generally reflected additional refinement and friction reduction, placing movements like this within a higher tier of commercial American watchmaking.
The exterior creates an entirely different personality. Vortic’s V2 case is machined from titanium and finished in black DLC, creating a darker and more technical presentation than traditional stainless steel examples. The black case and bezel frame the lighter dial dramatically, while the black cordovan strap reinforces the watch’s more understated and purposeful character.
The Cleveland 005 succeeds because it feels equally comfortable in two eras at once. Ball’s uncompromising railroad heritage remains intact beneath the crystal, while the titanium and DLC construction give the watch a distinctly modern edge.
Movement Manufacturer Information
The movement inside of this watch was made by Ball Watch Company. We call this model "The Cleveland" because the company was located within the Cleveland city limits.
Founded by Webb C. Ball in 1891, Ball Watch Company's watches focused on the railroad industry and had a reputation for quality that was second to none. Mr. Ball famously invented and implemented a standard set of watch inspections and requirements to qualify a watch for use on the railroad at a time when timekeeping was paramount to safety. This was known as a "Standard" or "Railroad Grade" watch. The core of the manufacturing for these watches was performed by Hamilton and Waltham Watch Companies, but the adjustment, finishing, and testing performed by Ball set them ahead of the pack. One of the few companies still in existence, Ball now makes watches in Switzerland and is owned by Hong Kong group Asia Commercial Holdings Ltd.
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
- Model Year: 2024
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Diameter: 47mm
- Case Material: Machined DLC Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: DLC Titanium
- Strap: 22mm Cordovan Strap by Horween with Nickel Plated Buckle
Movement
- Manufacturer: Ball Watch Company
- Serial Number: B402103
- Manufacture Year: 1926
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 19 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What Makes The Cleveland 005 Unique:
The Cleveland 005 brings together the disciplined engineering standards of early American railroad timekeeping with a darker, more contemporary execution. Built around a 19-jewel Ball movement manufactured in 1926, this watch reflects an era when precision was not simply desirable, it was required.
Collectors immediately recognize the significance of the Ball name. Unlike many American brands of the period, Ball itself was not primarily a movement manufacturer. Instead, the company became famous for establishing and enforcing railroad timing standards after catastrophic rail accidents highlighted the dangers of inconsistent timekeeping. Watches carrying the Ball name were expected to meet exceptionally strict standards, and movements selected for Ball use represented some of the finest examples of American watchmaking available at the time.
The dial immediately draws attention through its balance of utility and character. Rather than a perfectly clean white surface, the dial carries a warm ivory tone with a finely textured, almost granular finish that gives the watch a sense of depth and age. Bold black Arabic numerals maintain excellent readability while ornate blued openwork hands introduce an unexpected level of elegance. At 6 o’clock, the recessed sub-seconds register preserves the original pocket watch proportions while adding another layer of visual detail through its finely printed railroad-style track.
Collectors will appreciate the way this dial walks a line between functionality and ornamentation. The composition remains highly legible, but small details reveal themselves over time. Subtle aging around the surface, natural imperfections, and the softly textured finish serve as reminders that this dial has spent nearly a century existing in the world rather than waiting untouched inside a display case.
Turning the watch over reveals the movement itself, where utility and finishing meet equally well. The 19-jewel movement displays striped damaskeening across its bridges, polished steel components, gold-toned gearing, and carefully placed jewel settings that create depth throughout the architecture. Higher jewel counts of this period generally reflected additional refinement and friction reduction, placing movements like this within a higher tier of commercial American watchmaking.
The exterior creates an entirely different personality. Vortic’s V2 case is machined from titanium and finished in black DLC, creating a darker and more technical presentation than traditional stainless steel examples. The black case and bezel frame the lighter dial dramatically, while the black cordovan strap reinforces the watch’s more understated and purposeful character.
The Cleveland 005 succeeds because it feels equally comfortable in two eras at once. Ball’s uncompromising railroad heritage remains intact beneath the crystal, while the titanium and DLC construction give the watch a distinctly modern edge.
Let customers speak for us
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.
