Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 104 unique:
The Lancaster 104 invites a second look—and rewards it. At the center of this distinctive piece is a brushed silver dial with a metallic wood grain texture, giving the surface a sense of movement and depth as light glides across each vertical stroke. Surrounding the dial, stylized black Art Deco numerals arc gracefully along the outer edge, curving with the shape of the case and grounding the design in 1920s elegance. A recessed champagne-toned sub-seconds dial sits at 6 o’clock, balancing the composition with bold numerals and radial engravings. A pair of heat-blued spade hands hovers above the texture, precise and poetic.
Inside, this watch features a 23-jewel Hamilton movement from 1927—an exceptional example of American mechanical craftsmanship. Visible through the open caseback, the movement showcases concentric ring engravings on the bridges, polished gears, and finely set jewels. This aesthetic detail, rare among early 20th-century production, demonstrates the level of artistry once reserved for high-grade timepieces.
We’ve paired this historic movement with a tumbled stainless steel case that highlights the brushed dial while providing modern durability. A coin edge machined-steel bezel frames the dial with vintage charm, while the knurled machined-steel crown adds a tactile element. A warm cognac-toned leather strap completes the package, offering contrast and comfort for everyday wear.
In 1927, America celebrated Charles Lindbergh’s solo transatlantic flight from New York to Paris—a feat of engineering, courage, and precision. Much like Lindbergh’s aircraft, this watch captures a defining moment in American innovation and the pursuit of excellence.
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.
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: 2025
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 45mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 50mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Tumbled Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3055710
- Manufacture Year: 1927
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 23 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Lancaster 104 unique:
The Lancaster 104 invites a second look—and rewards it. At the center of this distinctive piece is a brushed silver dial with a metallic wood grain texture, giving the surface a sense of movement and depth as light glides across each vertical stroke. Surrounding the dial, stylized black Art Deco numerals arc gracefully along the outer edge, curving with the shape of the case and grounding the design in 1920s elegance. A recessed champagne-toned sub-seconds dial sits at 6 o’clock, balancing the composition with bold numerals and radial engravings. A pair of heat-blued spade hands hovers above the texture, precise and poetic.
Inside, this watch features a 23-jewel Hamilton movement from 1927—an exceptional example of American mechanical craftsmanship. Visible through the open caseback, the movement showcases concentric ring engravings on the bridges, polished gears, and finely set jewels. This aesthetic detail, rare among early 20th-century production, demonstrates the level of artistry once reserved for high-grade timepieces.
We’ve paired this historic movement with a tumbled stainless steel case that highlights the brushed dial while providing modern durability. A coin edge machined-steel bezel frames the dial with vintage charm, while the knurled machined-steel crown adds a tactile element. A warm cognac-toned leather strap completes the package, offering contrast and comfort for everyday wear.
In 1927, America celebrated Charles Lindbergh’s solo transatlantic flight from New York to Paris—a feat of engineering, courage, and precision. Much like Lindbergh’s aircraft, this watch captures a defining moment in American innovation and the pursuit of excellence.
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.
