Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 112 unique: Today we proudly present this gorgeous watch from the Hamilton Watch Company out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, our Lancaster 112. This watch was originally manufactured in 1923 in a small batch of just over 260,000 pieces. The dials in these batches always vary, and this one, in particular, is something that we don’t see often. We absolutely love the fine details of the bouquet of flowers displayed in the center. The off-white tone of the dial lets the bold numerals stand out nicely, sitting perfectly in this machined titanium case. The maroon teardrop hands bring a lot of character to the appearance of this watch, paired with this merlot strap that completes the look. As we turn the watch over, we are immediately captivated by the machined Geneva lines that take over the entire build plate surface. We see these gold-plated gears hiding beneath this large ¾ build plate and love the way they catch our attention. The crown-wheel and mainspring barrel have been wonderfully machined with a spiral pattern that stands out against the rest of the build design and matches the glimmer of the stainless steel hardware that holds everything in place. During the time when this watch was made, Hamilton was building its brand as being known for adventure, placing a lot of advertisements in National Geographic magazines, and trying to portray the watch campaigns around explorers and exciting professions. They began transitioning their demographic from the railroad customers around 1908 and were doing their best to breach the high-profile luxury-seeking customer base.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
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 47mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Machined Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Copper
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3207845
- Manufacture Year: 1923
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
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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.
