Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 168 unique: We’re delighted to feature this remarkable piece of history that boasts an antique pocket watch originally manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1925 — the Lancaster 168. This splendid watch features an aged dial with stylized black numerals that look exceptional against its rustic, light-copper-colored background. The front of this piece also displays stunning violet spade & whip watch hands and a useful subdial. We paired this exquisite pocket watch with our robust, glimmering Machined Titanium case and topped it off with a copper crown that complements the dial’s color palette. Our Machined Titanium case features a transparent back, showcasing the pocket watch’s 912-grade open-face movement with a double roller escapement, Reed regulator, and ¾ plate. The back of the piece also features 17 handsome screw-set jewels that compliment the movement’s luxurious-looking gold-plated gears. Finally, we matched this historic, one-of-a-kind watch with our comfortable, American-made Rye leather watch strap, further showcasing the watch’s highly original colors.The Hamilton Watch Company produced the Lancaster 168’s breathtaking pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1925 — the same year that a special session of the Supreme Court of Texas met that featured all female justices. This was the first all-female supreme court in the United States, and it included Hortense Sparks Ward, Hattie Leah Heneberg, and Ruth Virginia Brazzil. The all-female Supreme Court of Texas ruled over the case, Johnson V. Darr. The case was brought forth by the Woodmen of the World — a fraternity that’s known today as WoodmenLife — which claimed that they owned two tracts of land in El Paso. The properties were included in a trust and deeded to F. P. Jones. Jones had creditors who came after the land, leading to the legal dispute. Many lawyers and state officials were members of the Woodmen of the World, including justices Calvin Maples Cureton, Thomas B. Greenwood, and William Pierson. The three justices recused themselves from
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: Copper
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3241407
- Manufacture Year: 1925
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Hamilton Watch Company produced the Lancaster 168’s breathtaking pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1925 — the same year that a special session of the Supreme Court of Texas met that featured all female justices. This was the first all-female supreme court in the United States, and it included Hortense Sparks Ward, Hattie Leah Heneberg, and Ruth Virginia Brazzil. The all-female Supreme Court of Texas ruled over the case, Johnson V. Darr. The case was brought forth by the Woodmen of the World — a fraternity that’s known today as WoodmenLife — which claimed that they owned two tracts of land in El Paso. The properties were included in a trust and deeded to F. P. Jones. Jones had creditors who came after the land, leading to the legal dispute. Many lawyers and state officials were members of the Woodmen of the World, including justices Calvin Maples Cureton, Thomas B. Greenwood, and William Pierson. The three justices recused themselves from
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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.
