Watch Description
What Makes The Lancaster 123 Unique:
The Lancaster 123 presents a beautifully aged dial that wears its history with quiet confidence. The surface shows an even antique patina, softened by decades of use and time, giving the dial a warm, lived-in character that feels authentic rather than distressed. Bold black Arabic numerals in a font typically only seen on Railroad pocket watch dials anchor the layout with excellent legibility, framed by a full chapter ring that reinforces the watch’s purposeful, instrument-driven design. At the center, we preserved the original heat-blued steel hands, whose deep blue tone provides crisp contrast against the parchment-toned dial. At 6 o’clock, the recessed secometer replaces a traditional seconds display, offering a fan-shaped scale designed for quick interval timing—a feature commonly associated with early industrial, medical, and technical applications.
Inside, this watch is powered by a 17-jewel Hamilton movement manufactured in 1934. Known for their reliability and consistency, Hamilton movements from this era were built in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with precision in mind, balancing durability with refined finishing. Through the open caseback, Geneva-striped bridges catch the light as the watch moves, complemented by polished steel components and gold-toned gears that reflect the high standards of Hamilton’s mid-1930s production.
The Lancaster 123 is housed in our machined steel case, finished with a soft sandblasted texture that complements the watch’s vintage character without overpowering it. A sandblasted steel coin-edge bezel adds tactile detail and visual rhythm, while the knurled sandblasted-steel crown provides secure, confident engagement. The watch is paired with a cognac leather strap that echoes the warmth of the dial’s patina, completing a cohesive and timeless aesthetic on the wrist.
The year 1934 sits squarely in the depths of the Great Depression, a time when American manufacturing emphasized resilience, practicality, and longevity. That same year, Hamilton continued producing dependable timekeepers built for real-world use—watches designed to serve doctors, engineers, and everyday Americans alike. The Lancaster 123 carries that same spirit forward, preserving a moment when function and craftsmanship were inseparable.
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 Diameter: 45mm
- Case Material: Sandblasted Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Front: Domed Sapphire Back: Flat Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: 22mm Cognac Leather Strap with Steel Buckle
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3406855
- Manufacture Year: 1934
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Orignal Blued-Steel Hands
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What Makes The Lancaster 123 Unique:
The Lancaster 123 presents a beautifully aged dial that wears its history with quiet confidence. The surface shows an even antique patina, softened by decades of use and time, giving the dial a warm, lived-in character that feels authentic rather than distressed. Bold black Arabic numerals in a font typically only seen on Railroad pocket watch dials anchor the layout with excellent legibility, framed by a full chapter ring that reinforces the watch’s purposeful, instrument-driven design. At the center, we preserved the original heat-blued steel hands, whose deep blue tone provides crisp contrast against the parchment-toned dial. At 6 o’clock, the recessed secometer replaces a traditional seconds display, offering a fan-shaped scale designed for quick interval timing—a feature commonly associated with early industrial, medical, and technical applications.
Inside, this watch is powered by a 17-jewel Hamilton movement manufactured in 1934. Known for their reliability and consistency, Hamilton movements from this era were built in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with precision in mind, balancing durability with refined finishing. Through the open caseback, Geneva-striped bridges catch the light as the watch moves, complemented by polished steel components and gold-toned gears that reflect the high standards of Hamilton’s mid-1930s production.
The Lancaster 123 is housed in our machined steel case, finished with a soft sandblasted texture that complements the watch’s vintage character without overpowering it. A sandblasted steel coin-edge bezel adds tactile detail and visual rhythm, while the knurled sandblasted-steel crown provides secure, confident engagement. The watch is paired with a cognac leather strap that echoes the warmth of the dial’s patina, completing a cohesive and timeless aesthetic on the wrist.
The year 1934 sits squarely in the depths of the Great Depression, a time when American manufacturing emphasized resilience, practicality, and longevity. That same year, Hamilton continued producing dependable timekeepers built for real-world use—watches designed to serve doctors, engineers, and everyday Americans alike. The Lancaster 123 carries that same spirit forward, preserving a moment when function and craftsmanship were inseparable.
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.
