Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 174 unique: Today, we’re delighted to showcase this breathtaking watch initially produced by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1935 — the Lancaster 174. The front of the watch boasts a gorgeous tan-colored dial with golden-brown numerals and a center design with the text “Ask the man who owns one,” a reference to the now-defunct luxury automotive manufacturer the Packard Motor Car Company. The company’s hot selling item in 1935 was the first-generation Packard One-Twenty. The watch’s dial also displays merlot gothic watch hands and a subdial for second-keeping. We encased this remarkable pocket watch within our luxurious Gilded Titanium case and topped it off with a matching gold-plated crown, making it look even more sumptuous and impressive. Our Gilded Titanium case features a transparent back, enabling you to view the pocket watch’s original 918-grade open-face movement with a micrometer regulator and Breguet hairspring. The watch’s rear side also exhibits 19 screw-set ruby jewels with gold settings, as well as gold-plated gears. To tie the piece together, we paired it with our artisan-designed Cordovan Oxblood leather watch strap, making the final product even more eye-catching.The Hamilton Watch Company originally manufactured the pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1935, which was the same year that Frank Capra’s film It Happened One Night became the first film to sweep the Academy Awards. The hit romantic comedy starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Lead Actress, and Best Lead Actor. It Happened One Night is one of three films to win all five major categories at the Academy Awards. The two other films that won the same honor were One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in 1976 and Silence of the Lambs in 1992. In 1993, the Library of Congress preserved It Happened One Night in the US National Film Registry because of the film’s importance and widespread critical acclaim.
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: Gold Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3150726
- Manufacture Year: 1935
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 19 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Hamilton Watch Company originally manufactured the pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1935, which was the same year that Frank Capra’s film It Happened One Night became the first film to sweep the Academy Awards. The hit romantic comedy starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert won Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Lead Actress, and Best Lead Actor. It Happened One Night is one of three films to win all five major categories at the Academy Awards. The two other films that won the same honor were One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in 1976 and Silence of the Lambs in 1992. In 1993, the Library of Congress preserved It Happened One Night in the US National Film Registry because of the film’s importance and widespread critical acclaim.
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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.