Watch Description
The American mechanism inside this watch is not a replica or an "inspired" piece. It was genuinely carried by an individual, 100 years ago, that depended on it. Each time you wear this watch, you will be transported through time, imagining who this individual was and the work they did to help build our country. Simply put, American Artisan Series watches make you feel something when you put them on. At Vortic, we tell customers that owning a watch isn't nearly as important as owning a story. And, this is an opportunity to be a part of a story that is bigger than yourself. You won't be the first to own this watch, and you certainly won't be the last, so make your chapter count.
The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements. Individuals commonly scrap pocket watch cases for their precious metal, leaving the original mechanism orphaned. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880's - 1950's) pocket watch made by Hamilton Watch Company. We call this model "The Lancaster" because the company was located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
What makes the Lancaster 163 unique: We’re happy to showcase this marvelous piece of history that dates back to 1936 — the Lancaster 163. Our stunning wristwatch features an antique pocket watch originally produced by the Hamilton Watch Company, and it boasts a breathtaking aged dial with distinctly-styled black numerals that look absolutely stunning against the piece’s light-tan background. The face also displays a unique, rotating subdial and nickel-plated solid diamond kite watch hands. We matched this sophisticated pocket watch with our powerful Bronzed Titanium case and topped it off with a nickel-plated crown. Our Bronzed Titanium case offers more than just style — it also includes an open back that reveals the pocket watch’s antique 912-grade open-face movement with a Reed regulator, nickel finish, and pendant setting. The movement also features sumptuous-looking gold-plated gears and 17 gorgeous screw-set jewels throughout its ¾ plate. Finally, we equipped this one-of-a-kind piece with our unique, hand-crafted Yukon leather watch strap, adding more rugged flair to the final product.
The Hamilton Watch Company first released the Lancaster 163’s pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1936 — the same year that Congress enacted the Rural Electrification Act. This act was one of the proposals within President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, and it provided rural areas with access to electricity. Although electricity was already common in cities at the time, people living on farms and other remote areas across the country largely lacked access before the act passed and was implemented.
Case Style:This case has been CNC milled from a solid block of aerospace grade titanium. After machining, we bake the case in a kiln for a specific interval before sandblasting for uniformity. Any imperfections at this stage will scrap the piece, but the result is a beautiful, slightly darker finish that we call gunmetal. Titanium is the ultimate material for strength to weight ratio. Titanium has a darker look than steel, and due to its low thermal conductivity, feels warm to the touch. These characteristics create an enduring, highly wearable, distinctive piece.
Movement: The manually wound, antique, pocket watch movement inside this watch has been meticulously restored to as close to original condition as possible. Vortic has an exclusive group of highly experienced watchmakers that specialize in vintage watches. Before its use in a wristwatch, each movement is completely disassembled, cleaned, oiled, and calibrated. Each finished Vortic watch is tested for at least a week before completion.
This watch's movement is serial number 3441743 from the Hamilton Watch Company. 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
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Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 46mm
- Height: 12mm
- Lug-to-Lug: 55mm
- Lugs: 22mm
- Case Finish: Gunmetal Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Gorilla Glass
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3441743
- Manufacture Year: 1936
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17j
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Lancaster 163 unique: We’re happy to showcase this marvelous piece of history that dates back to 1936 — the Lancaster 163. Our stunning wristwatch features an antique pocket watch originally produced by the Hamilton Watch Company, and it boasts a breathtaking aged dial with distinctly-styled black numerals that look absolutely stunning against the piece’s light-tan background. The face also displays a unique, rotating subdial and nickel-plated solid diamond kite watch hands. We matched this sophisticated pocket watch with our powerful Bronzed Titanium case and topped it off with a nickel-plated crown. Our Bronzed Titanium case offers more than just style — it also includes an open back that reveals the pocket watch’s antique 912-grade open-face movement with a Reed regulator, nickel finish, and pendant setting. The movement also features sumptuous-looking gold-plated gears and 17 gorgeous screw-set jewels throughout its ¾ plate. Finally, we equipped this one-of-a-kind piece with our unique, hand-crafted Yukon leather watch strap, adding more rugged flair to the final product.
The Hamilton Watch Company first released the Lancaster 163’s pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1936 — the same year that Congress enacted the Rural Electrification Act. This act was one of the proposals within President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, and it provided rural areas with access to electricity. Although electricity was already common in cities at the time, people living on farms and other remote areas across the country largely lacked access before the act passed and was implemented.
Quality Straps
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.
Mission
Our mission is to preserve and enhance the legacy of manufacturing excellence in America. We believe that this legacy is highly relevant in the world of watch manufacturing because our goal is to marry form and function in a way that makes something beautiful that will last forever. American made pocket watches were of such a high quality and decoration that they evolved into more than just a way to tell time. They became traditional heirlooms to be inherited by future generations as a wedding gift or a coming of age treasure. Each piece tells a lively tale of what U.S. manufacturing meant in the past using an intricate language of decorated bridges, plates, gears, and springs. Today, we are restoring these pieces to their former glory and making them relevant again using the best of modern technology.
American Made
We feel proud and blessed to live in the country, state, and city that we do. However, our motivation to build everything in the United States, and to deal locally whenever possible, is derived from a different source of inspiration. We believe that the close relationships, face-to-face interaction, and tight quality control we achieve while dealing domestically produces a truly superior product. Because of this, we are very transparent about where our components are made as we continue to build our in-house capabilities.
