The Cleveland Railroad 016 (51mm)

The Cleveland Railroad 016 (51mm)

The Cleveland Railroad 016 (51mm)
The Cleveland Railroad 016 (51mm)
The Cleveland Railroad 016 (51mm)
The Cleveland Railroad 016 (51mm)
The Cleveland Railroad 016 (51mm)
The Cleveland Railroad 016 (51mm)
The Cleveland Railroad 016 (51mm)
The Cleveland Railroad 016 (51mm)
The Cleveland Railroad 016 (51mm)

Watch Description

The American mechanism inside this watch is not a replica or an "inspired" piece. It was genuinely carried by an individual, 100 years ago, that depended on it. Each time you wear this watch, you will be transported through time, imagining who this individual was and the work they did to help build our country. Simply put, American Artisan Series watches make you feel something when you put them on. At Vortic, we tell customers that owning a watch isn't nearly as important as owning a story. And, this is an opportunity to be a part of a story that is bigger than yourself. You won't be the first to own this watch, and you certainly won't be the last, so make your chapter count.

The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements. Individuals commonly scrap pocket watch cases for their precious metal, leaving the original mechanism orphaned. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880's - 1950's) pocket watch made by Ball Watch Company. We call this model "The Cleveland" because the company was located within the Cleveland city limits.

Railroad grade pocket watches, also known as Standard watches, were explicitly made for railroad employees. As such, they were the highest quality and most sought after watches of the time. American railroads decided upon a rigorous set of regulations to qualify timepieces as "railroad grade" due to their role in maintaining schedules for the American rail system. Click HERE to learn more about railroad watches.

A defining feature of all railroad grade watches is their setting mechanism. Instead of simply pulling out the crown to put the watch in "setting mode," the original railroad pocket watches required you to remove the front of the watch and actuate a lever to accomplish the same thing. This way, the time on these essential watches was never accidentally changed. Vortic's Railroad Edition of the American Artisan Series features a removable bezel that dramatically improves upon the original design. The Railroad Edition case protects the dial from access while the bezel is removed and is fully water resistant when the bezel is appropriately tightened. Click HERE to learn more about how Vortic's Railroad Edition works.

NOTE - this watch is not water resistant when the bezel is not installed or is installed incorrectly.

The Cleveland Railroad 016 is the 51st one-of-a-kind piece in Vortic's "Cleveland Railroad" line of the American Artisan Series. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880’s – 1950’s) pocket watch. The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements.

What makes the Cleveland Railroad 016 Unique: Today's Watch of the Day is our one pocket watch for the month... the Cleveland Railroad 016. They say the dial makes a watch. And now we know why. This pocket watch has the rarest, most beautiful dial we've ever seen. The Ball Watch Company in Cleveland, Ohio was known for purchasing movements from the great manufacturing companies like Hamilton, Waltham, or Illinois and then improving those already fantastic mechanisms before crafting special dials for each piece. This dial though is a masterpiece. We tried to capture it in our photography studio, but pictures just can't do this justice. We believe it was made in a similar fashion to ceramic as it looks like high end tile you might see in an antique hotel. The gold numerals were applied to the dial and stick out from the face, giving another layer of depth to an already complex surface. If you look closely, there are small gold dots as minute markers all the way around the outside. Finally, the second hand sub-dial has a mirror polish and was likely cut and polished out of the original solid design. The railroad grade movement was originally manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company for Ball in 1947 and we believe this dial was manufactured in that same timeframe, most likely by an individual craftsman as a one-off piece.

1947

1B7827

https://player.vimeo.com/video/453701310

Case Style:This case has been CNC milled from a solid block of aluminum bronze. The case is intentionally left unpolished so the intricate tool marks made during the milling process remain visible. The watch will arrive pre-patina'd like the product image and take on additional patina over time as it interacts with oxygen in the air and oils on your skin. This patina can be removed to return the bronze case to its original state, but most individuals strive for the distinct, one-of-a-kind patina created by their lifestyle. Each bronze case is one of a kind, and the rich, deep color of the patina will vary from case to case.

Movement: The manually wound, antique, pocket watch movement inside this watch has been meticulously restored to as close to original condition as possible. Vortic has an exclusive group of highly experienced watchmakers that specialize in vintage watches. Before its use in a wristwatch, each movement is completely disassembled, cleaned, oiled, and calibrated. Each finished Vortic watch is tested for at least a week before completion.

This watch's movement is serial number from the Ball Watch Company. 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.

Watch Specifications

  • Manufacturer: Vortic Watch Company
  • Model Year: 2020
  • Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
  • Case Dimensions: 
    • Diameter: 51mm
    • Height: 14.5mm
    • Lug-to-Lug: 60mm
    • Lugs: 22mm
  • Case Finish: Machined Bronze
  • Crown/Hardware: Bronze
  • Water Resistance: 1 ATM
  • Crystals: Gorilla Glass
  • Case Back: Stainless Steel
  • Strap: Leather

Movement

  • Manufacturer: Ball Watch Company
  • Serial Number: 
  • Manufacture Year: 
  • Function: Manual Wind, Lever-Set
  • Jewels: 21j
  • Hands: Original
  • Size: Railroad
  • Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
It looks like it would have been right at home on the wrist of Indiana Jones! This watch is a showpiece as much as it is as unique timepiece!
—John from Indiana
After receiving the watch in the mail, I was surprised to see the watch somehow looked better in person than it did in the photos. I didn't think that would be possible!
—Mark from Massachusetts
The skeleton back is amazing and the packaging was perfect. To honor the past with details like this is truly impressive.
—Brad from Florida
I own so called "high end" watches such as Rolex, Panerai, and Zenith but they pale in comparison to my two Vortic models which I wear everyday to work.
—Todd from Ohio

The Cleveland Railroad 016 is the 51st one-of-a-kind piece in Vortic's "Cleveland Railroad" line of the American Artisan Series. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880’s – 1950’s) pocket watch. The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements.

What makes the Cleveland Railroad 016 Unique: Today's Watch of the Day is our one pocket watch for the month... the Cleveland Railroad 016. They say the dial makes a watch. And now we know why. This pocket watch has the rarest, most beautiful dial we've ever seen. The Ball Watch Company in Cleveland, Ohio was known for purchasing movements from the great manufacturing companies like Hamilton, Waltham, or Illinois and then improving those already fantastic mechanisms before crafting special dials for each piece. This dial though is a masterpiece. We tried to capture it in our photography studio, but pictures just can't do this justice. We believe it was made in a similar fashion to ceramic as it looks like high end tile you might see in an antique hotel. The gold numerals were applied to the dial and stick out from the face, giving another layer of depth to an already complex surface. If you look closely, there are small gold dots as minute markers all the way around the outside. Finally, the second hand sub-dial has a mirror polish and was likely cut and polished out of the original solid design. The railroad grade movement was originally manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company for Ball in 1947 and we believe this dial was manufactured in that same timeframe, most likely by an individual craftsman as a one-off piece.

1947

1B7827

https://player.vimeo.com/video/453701310

Quality Straps

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Mission

Learn More About Vortic
Two men walking side by side through a leather curing facility.

American Made

Learn More About The American Artisan Series

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