Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 138 unique:Today, we’re happy to showcase this unique piece originally manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1924 — the Lancaster 138. The watch features an antique dial with a light-cream-colored background and fashionable center design. It also sports distinct and stylish light-brown numerals. We matched the pocket watch with our glimmering, scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case, and we paired the piece with a copper crown, which emphasizes the dial’s notable numerals. On the back of the timepiece, you can view its 912-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish, pendant setting, and black inlay color. The watch also boasts a Reed regulator as well as stunning gold-plated gears powered by 17 jewels on top of its ¾ plate. We further emphasized the watch’s rustic yet luxurious design and colors by equipping it with our hand-crafted Natural leather watch strap. The Hamilton Watch Company initially produced the watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1924 — the same year in which J. Edgar Hoover became the Director of the Bureau of Investigation, which was the predecessor to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Today, Hoover is an incredibly controversial figure known for abusing his power and wiretapping Martin Luther King Jr., but he also founded and shaped the FBI. He served as the first Director of the FBI from 1935 until his death in 1972.
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.
Legal Disclaimer: All product and company names, logos, brands, and other trademarks featured or referred to within Vortic's products and services are the property of their respective intellectual property rights holders, if any. Those intellectual property rights holders, other than Vortic, LLC, are not affiliated with Vortic, LLC, our products, or our website. They do not sponsor or endorse our materials.
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: 3229546
- Manufacture Year: 1924
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
Today, we’re happy to showcase this unique piece originally manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1924 — the Lancaster 138. The watch features an antique dial with a light-cream-colored background and fashionable center design. It also sports distinct and stylish light-brown numerals. We matched the pocket watch with our glimmering, scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case, and we paired the piece with a copper crown, which emphasizes the dial’s notable numerals. On the back of the timepiece, you can view its 912-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish, pendant setting, and black inlay color. The watch also boasts a Reed regulator as well as stunning gold-plated gears powered by 17 jewels on top of its ¾ plate. We further emphasized the watch’s rustic yet luxurious design and colors by equipping it with our hand-crafted Natural leather watch strap. The Hamilton Watch Company initially produced the watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1924 — the same year in which J. Edgar Hoover became the Director of the Bureau of Investigation, which was the predecessor to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Today, Hoover is an incredibly controversial figure known for abusing his power and wiretapping Martin Luther King Jr., but he also founded and shaped the FBI. He served as the first Director of the FBI from 1935 until his death in 1972.
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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.
