Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 185 unique: Today, we’re happy to feature this unforgettable antique that was originally manufactured by the Hamilton Watch Company — the Lancaster 185. The first thing you may notice about this watch is its highly unique dial that boasts an unusual center design that extends out to its gold-colored numerals. The dial also features an aged subdial and violet Gothic watch hands that look especially breathtaking against its light-copper background. We paired this watch with our Sandblasted Titanium case, emphasizing the piece’s eye-catching dial, and a copper crown that complements its motif. Our stylish Sandblasted Titanium case comes with an open back, allowing you to see its 912-grade open-face movement with a Reed regulator, gold-plated gears, and 17 screw-set jewels. The back of the watch also features a beautiful ¾ plate with noteworthy engravings that reveal its manufacturing history, such as “Hamilton Watch Co.” and “Lancaster, PA.” Finally, we equipped the watch with our artisan-designed Moss leather watch strap, allowing the antique’s owner to wear it comfortably.The Hamilton Watch Company initially released the Lancaster 185’s pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1937 — the same year that the first volume of Detective Comics (DC Comics) was published. World War I veteran Major Malcom Wheeler-Nicholson founded National Allied Publications in 1934, the predecessor for DC. They published their first comic New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine in 1935. Major Wheeler-Nicholson formed Detective Comics, Inc. and brought in printing plant owner and magazine distributor Harry Donenfeld as a partner because of debts he had accumulated to Donenfeld’s company. Donenfeld’s accountant Jack S. Liebowitz also became a partner at Detective Comics.
Sadly, Donenfeld forced Major Wheeler-Nicholson out of the company due to issues regarding cash-flow and then purchased National Allied Publications at a bankruptcy auction. A decade later, National Allied Publications merged with Detective Comics, Inc. and absorbed All-American Publications, which made Superman, to form National Comics Publications. The company officially became known as DC Comics in 1977.
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: 3458413
- Manufacture Year: 1937
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Hamilton Watch Company initially released the Lancaster 185’s pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1937 — the same year that the first volume of Detective Comics (DC Comics) was published. World War I veteran Major Malcom Wheeler-Nicholson founded National Allied Publications in 1934, the predecessor for DC. They published their first comic New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine in 1935. Major Wheeler-Nicholson formed Detective Comics, Inc. and brought in printing plant owner and magazine distributor Harry Donenfeld as a partner because of debts he had accumulated to Donenfeld’s company. Donenfeld’s accountant Jack S. Liebowitz also became a partner at Detective Comics.
Sadly, Donenfeld forced Major Wheeler-Nicholson out of the company due to issues regarding cash-flow and then purchased National Allied Publications at a bankruptcy auction. A decade later, National Allied Publications merged with Detective Comics, Inc. and absorbed All-American Publications, which made Superman, to form National Comics Publications. The company officially became known as DC Comics in 1977.
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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.
