Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 135 unique: Today, we’re excited to showcase this stunning piece initially produced by the Hamilton Watch Company — the Lancaster 135. The watch sports an antique dial with a distinct circular pattern that matches its dark, stylized numerals. The piece also features violet minute and hour hands that glimmer vividly against the dial’s cream-colored background. We paired the original pocket watch with our robust and scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case that draws further attention to the piece’s historic and sophisticated dial, and we topped the front of the watch off with a nickel-plated crown that matches the dial’s cream background. Our Machined Titanium’s clear back reveals a 912-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish, black inlay, and pendant setting. You can also view the watch’s intricate inner workings, including its splendid gold-plated gears powered by 17 luxurious jewels. The watch also sports a ¾ plate and a Reed regulator. We tied the piece together with our highly comfortable and stylish Stout leather watch strap, further emphasizing the watch’s simple yet elegant style. The Hamilton Watch Company originally manufactured this piece in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1926 — the same year that the United States created the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC). The USAAC served as part of the United States Army from 1926 to 1941 due to the growing emphasis on aerial warfare. The USAAC became the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in 1941, giving it a greater degree of autonomy from the U.S. Army, but it remained part of the army until 1947. In 1947, Congress disbanded the USAAF and created the United States Department of the Air Force.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: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3261769
- Manufacture Year: 1926
- 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.
