Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 105 unique:
The Lancaster 105 delivers a striking visual interplay of geometry, texture, and tone. At its center is a pale, parchment-toned dial surrounded by bold black numerals that showcase a uniquely stylized flair—their exaggerated loops and curled terminals lend a dramatic vintage charm. A circular decorative ring frames the central field, adding a layer of ornamentation without compromising legibility. Radiating from the edge of the dial, a railroad-style minute track completes the layout with precision and balance. At the 6 o’clock position, a recessed sub-seconds dial adds both visual weight and dimension, with its fine engraving and crisp numerical markers echoing the larger dial’s character. Hovering above it all is a pair of sharp, triangular heat-blued hands—reminiscent of heavy diamond styles—cutting cleanly across the dial and offering a commanding presence.
Beneath the surface lies a 17-jewel Hamilton movement originally manufactured in 1934. Though it’s a 912-grade, we let the movement’s visual merit speak for itself. The bridges are engraved with parallel Geneva stripes so deep and evenly spaced they appear almost three-dimensional—creating an optical illusion that shifts with the light. Gold-plated gears peek through the openings, while finely polished hardware adds mechanical brilliance to this historic work of art.
The watch is housed in a 45mm machined titanium case with a tumbled titanium coin-edge bezel that adds texture and rugged charm. A knurled machined titanium crown complements the industrial feel, while the caseback reveals the beautifully preserved movement beneath crystal. We’ve paired it with a rich navy leather strap from W&W, which subtly echoes the blued hands and offers a modern contrast to the dial’s antique tones.
In 1934, the Hamilton Watch Company was awarded the prestigious Army-Navy “E” Award for excellence in wartime production—one of the only watchmakers to ever receive the honor. Though the award became official in the years that followed, it was the company's precision engineering and craftsmanship during the interwar period that laid the groundwork for this recognition. Watches like this one are a testament to that legacy.
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 Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3410956
- Manufacture Year: 1934
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Lancaster 105 unique:
The Lancaster 105 delivers a striking visual interplay of geometry, texture, and tone. At its center is a pale, parchment-toned dial surrounded by bold black numerals that showcase a uniquely stylized flair—their exaggerated loops and curled terminals lend a dramatic vintage charm. A circular decorative ring frames the central field, adding a layer of ornamentation without compromising legibility. Radiating from the edge of the dial, a railroad-style minute track completes the layout with precision and balance. At the 6 o’clock position, a recessed sub-seconds dial adds both visual weight and dimension, with its fine engraving and crisp numerical markers echoing the larger dial’s character. Hovering above it all is a pair of sharp, triangular heat-blued hands—reminiscent of heavy diamond styles—cutting cleanly across the dial and offering a commanding presence.
Beneath the surface lies a 17-jewel Hamilton movement originally manufactured in 1934. Though it’s a 912-grade, we let the movement’s visual merit speak for itself. The bridges are engraved with parallel Geneva stripes so deep and evenly spaced they appear almost three-dimensional—creating an optical illusion that shifts with the light. Gold-plated gears peek through the openings, while finely polished hardware adds mechanical brilliance to this historic work of art.
The watch is housed in a 45mm machined titanium case with a tumbled titanium coin-edge bezel that adds texture and rugged charm. A knurled machined titanium crown complements the industrial feel, while the caseback reveals the beautifully preserved movement beneath crystal. We’ve paired it with a rich navy leather strap from W&W, which subtly echoes the blued hands and offers a modern contrast to the dial’s antique tones.
In 1934, the Hamilton Watch Company was awarded the prestigious Army-Navy “E” Award for excellence in wartime production—one of the only watchmakers to ever receive the honor. Though the award became official in the years that followed, it was the company's precision engineering and craftsmanship during the interwar period that laid the groundwork for this recognition. Watches like this one are a testament to that legacy.
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.
