Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 173 unique: Today, we’re happy to showcase this remarkable piece that was originally manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1927 — the Lancaster 173. This watch boasts an impressive dial with stylish gold-colored numerals that look stunning against its cream-colored background. The watch’s face also displays a useful subdial and blued steel open-kite watch hands. We encased this antique pocket watch within our distinct and powerful Bronzed Titanium case and equipped it with a gold crown. Our Bronzed Titanium case comes with a transparent back, allowing you to view the watch’s historic 912-grade open-face movement with a Reed regulator, nickel finish, and pendant setting. You can also see the piece’s robust and sumptuous-looking gold-plated gears and 17 screw-set jewels throughout its ¾ plate. To top the piece off, we paired it with our comfortable, American-made oxblood cordovan leather watch strap, complementing the watch’s color palette.The Hamilton Watch Company initially produced the Lancaster 173’s handsome pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania the same year that the groundbreaking actor Sidney Poitier was born. Poitier made a name for himself through his stage work and numerous critically-acclaimed films, including The Defiant Ones, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and In the Heat of the Night. In 1964, he made history by becoming the first Bahamian and first black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field. Poitier received numerous other recognitions for his work, including a Presidential Medal of Freedom, multiple Golden Globes, and the BAFTA Fellowship. He was even knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. In addition to his success as an actor, Poitier also served as the Bahamian ambassador to Japan from 1997 to 2007, and he served as the ambassador to UNESCO from 2002 to 2007. After a lifetime of impressive achievements, Sidney Poitier passed away in January 2022.
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: Sandblasted Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Copper
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3281419
- Manufacture Year: 1927
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Hamilton Watch Company initially produced the Lancaster 173’s handsome pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania the same year that the groundbreaking actor Sidney Poitier was born. Poitier made a name for himself through his stage work and numerous critically-acclaimed films, including The Defiant Ones, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and In the Heat of the Night. In 1964, he made history by becoming the first Bahamian and first black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Lilies of the Field. Poitier received numerous other recognitions for his work, including a Presidential Medal of Freedom, multiple Golden Globes, and the BAFTA Fellowship. He was even knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. In addition to his success as an actor, Poitier also served as the Bahamian ambassador to Japan from 1997 to 2007, and he served as the ambassador to UNESCO from 2002 to 2007. After a lifetime of impressive achievements, Sidney Poitier passed away in January 2022.
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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.
