Watch Description
The Military Edition: Sixth Edition for 2024
Vortic’s only limited edition, the Military Edition, is a set of wristwatches built from very special antique American pocket watches. The pocket watches inside these wristwatches were originally manufactured for the U.S. Army Air Corps and flown on the B-17s and similar bomber aircraft in World War II. It’s the ultimate military watch and has the most provenance of any product we’ve ever made. Scroll down to read more about our Military Edition series.
Every watch in the Sixth Edition contains an original antique Hamilton 4992B movement. Please note we are only making 50 pieces this year, and they may sell quickly. The first 20 pieces (serial numbers 01/50 through 20/50) will have modern lume applied to the antique dial. The lume is also applied to the antique hands and those first 20 all feature the rare "US GOVT" stamp on the movement. The other 30 (serial numbers 21/50 through 50/50) will be the standard, original antique dial, and the movements are from the other 90% of Hamilton's production during the war (they are not stamped "US GOVT").
It takes us all year to source these original antique movements, but we now have a consistent, albeit slow, supply. Each piece will be uniquely serial numbered and come with a certificate of authenticity.
The Sixth Edition features a titanium case that's been stone-washed to create a unique look that will be slightly different between each watch. Every watch will come with the Swiss Military Canvas strap attached. In the box, you'll also find a second strap made from black leather using vintage white stitching as well as the screwdriver you'll need to change it.
We donate $500 from each watch to the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative, which trains disabled military vets how to become professional watchmakers. The average unemployment rate for disabled war veterans is 82%, and the funds we donate will put a dent in that figure! Check out the National News Story for more details on the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative.
Please note that slight variations in the dials, movements, and hands may occur as they are all unique pieces made about 80 years ago.
See our Military Edition Information page for more information on the product line in general as well as images of previous editions going back to 2019.
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.
Legal Disclaimer: All product and company names, logos, brands, and other trademarks featured or referred to within Vortic's products and services are the property of their respective intellectual property rights holders, if any. Those intellectual property rights holders, other than Vortic, LLC, are not affiliated with Vortic, LLC, our products, or our website. They do not sponsor or endorse our materials.
Watch Specifications
- Manufacturer: Vortic Watch Company
- Model Year: 2024 Military Edition
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 49mm
- Thickness: 16mm
- Lug to Lug: 59mm
- Lug Width: 24mm
- Case Material: Stone-washed Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 5 ATM
- Crystals: Domed Sapphire (front)
Flat Sapphire (back) - Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap:
#1: Military Canvas with Leather Backing
#2: Black Leather with Red Stitching
Movement
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Watch Company
- Serial Number: Varies
- Manufacture Year: Varies 1938 to 1945
- Function: Hour, Minute, and Hacking Sweeping Seconds
- Jewels: 22 Jewels
- Hands: Original Antiques
- Size: 16s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
Restoration of the Original Antiques
Most of the movements we find were manufactured between 1938 and 1950. They were likely used in war-time but were discarded or forgotten shortly afterward. This means the original mechanical, manually wound mechanisms have not been properly serviced or cared-for in recent years.
Vortic's team of expert watchmakers meticulously restores each movement to near factory conditions using only original parts. Thankfully, because these were built as tools for the U.S. Military, extra parts were built for field servicing. We even have access to the original field service manuals from the, now defunct, watch companies!
We do the best we can to restore and regulate each one, but "perfect" timekeeping similar to a modern wristwatch is not achievable. Each watch will be adjusted to keep excellent time on a day to day basis, but there will be variations from watch to watch.
The Wristwatch Engineering System
The Military Edition is an engineering system designed to protect and preserve pieces of American history.
It has been over-built to house these extremely rare and valuable military mechanisms. Every metal component has been precision cut from blocks of solid grade 5 titanium inside Vortic's Colorado facility.
Only the best materials were sourced for this project due to the priceless nature of the timepieces being converted.
The Glass Crystals
For the front of the Military Edition, we decided to go with a domed sapphire crystal.
The domed glass creates a beautiful side profile that makes this watch stand out from all others. It also makes more room inside the watch for the very tall pinion holding the hands.
On the back, we used sapphire again just like our other watches. The scratch-resistant crystal has a clarity rating of nearly 100 meaning it's completely transparent and perfect for showing off the piece of American military history inside.
The American Made Strap
A watch this special can't have any normal wrist-band. That's why we partnered with Greg Stevens Design in Salt Lake City. Greg typically makes batches of straps for us for these Military Edition watches, but we convinced him to do these Special Edition straps too!
Each Military Edition watch will come with one Swiss military canvas strap, and one black leather strap with vintage white stitching, all made by Greg.
The Veterans Watchmaker Initiative
We've partnered with the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative to provide jobs to U.S. Military personnel when they come home. $500 from the sale of each Military Edition watch will directly benefit their mission to educate and certify the next generation of American watchmakers.
With the rise in popularity of vintage and mechanical wristwatches, there's an ever-growing need for skilled watchmakers to restore and service these timepieces. Every watch company from Vortic to Rolex is actively seeking trained workers and the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative is filling those skill-gaps.
The current program can only train about 20 students at a time, but there are hundreds on the waiting list. By purchasing the any watch in the Military Edition including the Sixth Edition you will be directly impacting the Past, Present, and future of American watchmaking.
Frequently Asked Questions
For the Sixth Edition (2024) we plan to ship most of them within a few days. You should receive yours right away! It just depends on how quickly they sell and how quickly we can pack and ship. The first 10 customers will likely receive them in just a day or two!
The Military Edition is 49mm in diameter and 58mm lug to lug. The strap is 24mm, tapered to 20mm. The straps have been sized to fit any wrist between 6.5 and 8.5 inches (one size fits all).
The Military Edition will be exclusively available on Veterans Day each year. We do not know how many antique pocket watches we can find in the future, so subsequent sets may have fewer pieces available and will likely sell at a higher price.
Yes. Active Duty Military and all U.S. Military Veterans can receive 10% off any purchase on www.vorticwatches.com by using discount code "Military." You will be contacted after purchase for proof of service.
Just like all watches in Vortic's American Artisan Series, everything inside the watch is an original, restored antique. All internal components, including the dial (face), hands, and movement (gears and springs that tell time), are from a pocket watch built a long time ago. We restore those antique movements using only original parts and then build a custom engineering system around it. Everything you can touch, on the outside of the watch, is modern. This includes the case, glass, leather straps, crown, etc.
GCT, during World War II, meant Greenwich Civil Time, the standard European timezone. Now called UTC, or Coordinated Universal Time, it relates to the time at 0 degrees Longitude - the location of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. It was the standard timezone for all Allied forces during the war.
We take care to restore and regulate each one, but "perfect" timekeeping, similar to a modern wristwatch, is not achievable. Each watch will be adjusted to keep excellent time on a day-to-day basis, but there will be variations from watch to watch. We attempt to regulate timekeeping within 30 seconds per day when averaged across all positions. For day to day use, you should not notice any fault in timekeeping.
The watch industry does not use the term "waterproof." We always say "water-resistant" because every single watch is different, and all customer environments are different. The Military Edition is rated to 5ATM of water resistance, meaning it is perfect for day to day use, but not intended for use while showering or swimming.
All Vortic watches come with a 2-year warranty. The bottom line is, if anything ever goes wrong, even after you have the watch for 2 years, we will take care of you. We pride ourselves in our customer service, and we can fix just about anything!
Check out the link below for the unboxing of the First Edition! The Sixth Edition has some slight changes but those will be a surprise.
All product and company names, logos, brands, and other trademarks featured or referred to within Vortic's products and services are the property of their respective intellectual property rights holders, if any. Those intellectual property rights holders, other than Vortic, LLC, are not affiliated with Vortic, LLC, our products, or our website. They do not sponsor or endorse our materials.
