Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 137 unique: Today, we're pleased to display this stunning piece originally manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1933 — the Lancaster 137. The pocket watch sports a breathtaking cream-colored dial with an intricate, textured center design with dark, stylized numerals. The piece also features blue hour and minute hands along with a fashionable yet straightforward subdial. We further emphasized the dial's sophisticated design by pairing it with our Machined Titanium case and nickel-plated crown. The back of the watch features a 912-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish, black inlay color, and pendant setting. The watch also boasts stunning gold-plated gears powered by 17 screw-set jewels atop its ¾ plate. Finally, we equipped the piece with our comfortable, artisan-designed Cordovan Oxblood leather watch strap, making the final watch even more fashionable. The Hamilton Watch Company initially produced the pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1933 — the same year that President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his famous inaugural speech. President Roosevelt's first inauguration occurred on March 4, 1933, while the United States struggled with unemployment in the Great Depression. President Roosevelt used his speech to discuss some components of his "new deal" plan. His iconic line, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," was paraphrased from the poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau, who once wrote in his journal, "Nothing is so much to be feared as fear." Additionally, in the 16th century, English philosopher Francis Bacon wrote a similar line stating, "Nothing is terrible except fear itself."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: 3386325
- Manufacture Year: 1933
- 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.
