Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 131 unique: Today, we’re thrilled to present you with our gorgeous Lancaster 131 wristwatch. The Hamilton Watch Company initially created the pocket watch within our Lancaster 131 in 1926, and its breathtaking dial is unique, to say the least. The dial’s background has a look reminiscent of wood grain with vertical parallel lines, and the watch also features dark shades along its edge. In keeping with the wood aesthetic, the watch features dark brown numerals. We paired Hamilton’s original creation with our durable Gunmetal case and gold-plated crown, both of which further enhance the Lancaster’s one-of-a-kind design. The back of the watch features a 902-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish and pendant setting. 19 stunning jewels and bronze-plated gears power the robust and reliable movement. The center bridge plate boasts five different adjustable positions, and the back of the watch also features a stylized “Hamilton Lancaster, PA” engraving. Finally, we matched the Lancaster 131 with our unique Cordovan Black leather watch strap with a gold-plated buckle. The Hamilton Watch Company crafted the original pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1926 — the same year in which Henry Ford announced the standard 40-hour workweek for Ford Motor Company workers, laying the groundwork for other American companies to follow suit. Henry Ford worked tirelessly to maximize efficiency at Ford Motor Company, and through his company’s research, he discovered that productivity begins to plateau after around 40 hours of work. With this discovery, Ford implemented a workweek consisting of five eight-hour workdays. Henry Ford also increased productivity ten years earlier by raising Ford’s minimum wage from $2.34 for nine hours to $5 for eight hours of work. Although others in the automotive industry were baffled by Henry Ford’s decisions, his innovations greatly enhanced Ford Motor Company’s productivity and growth.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: Gunmetal Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Gold Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3056101
- Manufacture Year: 1926
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 19 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.
