Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 098 unique:
The Lancaster 098 strikes a balance between rich historical detail and modern craftsmanship. The dial immediately captures attention with its intricate textures: a concentric pattern within the sub-seconds register, a center field adorned with delicate leaf-like engravings, and bold numerals that create a timeless aesthetic. Set against a softly patinaed gold background, a pair of blued steel arrow hands sweep across the dial, adding a striking color contrast.
At its heart beats a 17-jewel Hamilton movement, originally crafted in 1925 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Visible through the exhibition caseback, the movement features beautifully decorated bridges with Geneva striping and expertly finished edges. Gold-plated gears shimmer between the plates, offering a glimpse into the incredible engineering that defined the golden era of American watchmaking.
We preserved this mechanical marvel inside a machined stainless steel case, showcasing the natural machining marks that give it a perceptibly industrial character. The angular, machined bezel adds a crisp frame around the dial, while a knurled, machined-steel crown brings a robust and functional finishing touch. Paired with a navy American-made leather strap, the overall design feels both grounded and refined.
The movement inside the Lancaster 098 was originally manufactured in 1925—the same year Walter Chrysler founded the Chrysler Corporation, reshaping the American automotive industry with a commitment to engineering excellence and innovative design. In much the same spirit, this timepiece celebrates ingenuity, strength, and the enduring artistry of American manufacturing.
Movement Manufacturer Information
The movement inside of this watch was made by Hamilton Watch Company. We call this model "The Lancaster" because the company was located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Hamilton is named after famous Pennsylvanian Alexander Hamilton and is the result of multiple re-organizations of attempted watch companies in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1892, Hamilton had a reputation for superior quality and maintained half of the railroad watch market share during some of the most prolific years of American railroad history. During World War II, Hamilton was integral to the production of accurate timepieces for the Military. Deemed "the watch that won the war," the company established an employee-run newsletter so that employees turned soldiers could keep up with life at the factory. While the original factory still stands as luxury apartments, the company stopped producing watches in the US in 1969. Hamilton now produces watches in Switzerland and is owned by the Swatch Group.
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Watch Specifications
- Manufacturer: Vortic Watch Company
- Model Year: 2025
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 45mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 50mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Machined Stainless Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3111824
- Manufacture Year: 1925
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Lancaster 098 unique:
The Lancaster 098 strikes a balance between rich historical detail and modern craftsmanship. The dial immediately captures attention with its intricate textures: a concentric pattern within the sub-seconds register, a center field adorned with delicate leaf-like engravings, and bold numerals that create a timeless aesthetic. Set against a softly patinaed gold background, a pair of blued steel arrow hands sweep across the dial, adding a striking color contrast.
At its heart beats a 17-jewel Hamilton movement, originally crafted in 1925 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Visible through the exhibition caseback, the movement features beautifully decorated bridges with Geneva striping and expertly finished edges. Gold-plated gears shimmer between the plates, offering a glimpse into the incredible engineering that defined the golden era of American watchmaking.
We preserved this mechanical marvel inside a machined stainless steel case, showcasing the natural machining marks that give it a perceptibly industrial character. The angular, machined bezel adds a crisp frame around the dial, while a knurled, machined-steel crown brings a robust and functional finishing touch. Paired with a navy American-made leather strap, the overall design feels both grounded and refined.
The movement inside the Lancaster 098 was originally manufactured in 1925—the same year Walter Chrysler founded the Chrysler Corporation, reshaping the American automotive industry with a commitment to engineering excellence and innovative design. In much the same spirit, this timepiece celebrates ingenuity, strength, and the enduring artistry of American manufacturing.
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.
