Watch Description
What makes the Lancaster 186 unique: Today, we’re pleased to showcase this magnificent watch that highlights America’s incredible manufacturing history — the Lancaster 186. This piece was originally constructed by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1932. This watch boasts an unforgettable dial with luxurious, gold-colored details, including its numerals, subdial, and floral design pattern. The front of the watch also displays violet arrow watch hands that look especially striking against its eggshell background. We ensconced this antique pocket watch within our Sandblasted Titanium case and equipped it with a gold-plated crown, complementing the dial’s stunning details. Our Sandblasted Titanium case features a transparent back, enabling you to view the pocket watch’s original 912-grade open-face movement with a double roller safety action, Reed regulator, and ¾ plate. You can also see the movement’s 17 breathtaking screw-set jewels as well as its gold-plated gears throughout. We topped this one-of-a-kind watch off with our comfortable Rye leather watch strap, making the final product all the more impressive.The Hamilton Watch Company initially released the Lancaster 186’s pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1932 — the year that the Zippo Manufacturing Company opened its doors in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Zippo’s founder, George G. Blaisdell, came up with his innovative lighter after seeing a friend struggle to light a cigarette lighter designed by the Austrian company IMCO. His friend’s cigarette lighter was highly effective in staying lit because of its well-designed chimney, but the device required two hands. Blaisdell recreated the Austrian lighter but improved it by using a rectangular case, and he equipped it with an easily-accessible lid, allowing users to light the device using only one hand. This innovation proved highly lucrative and became popular with United States servicemembers. The company now draws in around $390 million annually with this simple yet groundbreaking invention.
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: Gold Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3361038
- Manufacture Year: 1932
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Hamilton Watch Company initially released the Lancaster 186’s pocket watch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, in 1932 — the year that the Zippo Manufacturing Company opened its doors in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Zippo’s founder, George G. Blaisdell, came up with his innovative lighter after seeing a friend struggle to light a cigarette lighter designed by the Austrian company IMCO. His friend’s cigarette lighter was highly effective in staying lit because of its well-designed chimney, but the device required two hands. Blaisdell recreated the Austrian lighter but improved it by using a rectangular case, and he equipped it with an easily-accessible lid, allowing users to light the device using only one hand. This innovation proved highly lucrative and became popular with United States servicemembers. The company now draws in around $390 million annually with this simple yet groundbreaking invention.
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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.
