Watch Description
What makes the Rockford 002 unique: Today, we’re delighted to feature this breathtaking watch that was first released by the Rockford Watch Company over a century ago — the Rockford 002. This watch displays a white, double-sunk dial with stylish, bold black hour numerals and red minute numerals arranged in five-minute increments. It also showcases a matching subdial as well as blued steel extra heavy spade & whip watch hands. We encased this remarkable antique pocket watch within our larger 49mm Machined Titanium case and topped it off with a matching titanium crown to accentuate its refined dial. Our Machined Titanium comes with a transparent back, enabling you to see the pocket watch’s historic 566-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish, gilt inlay color, and pendant setting. The rear side of the watch also boasts gold-plated gears and 17 sumptuous jewels throughout its ¾ plate. We are absolutely mesmerized by the demaskeened pattern that has been carefully machined all throughout this incredible movement, continually keeping your eye moving around to all of the details. Finally, we made this historic piece of American manufacturing history wearable with our comfortable, hand-crafted Black leather watch strap.The Rockford Watch Company originally manufactured the Rockford 002’s pocket watch in Rockford, Illinois, in 1910 — the same year that Jack Johnson, the first black World Heavyweight Champion, beat James J. Jeffries in the World Heavyweight Championship of Boxing in Reno, Nevada. Jeffries was previously undefeated and came out of retirement to fight Johnson in what’s today known as the “fight of the century.” The fight served as a critical moment in African-American sports history. Leading up to the match, the press and much of the general public referred to James J. Jeffries as the “Great White Hope,” and famous author Jack London wrote that Jeffries was “the chosen representative of the white race.” Much to racist Americans’ dismay, Johnson defeated Jeffries in the fifteenth round. Tragically, a series of race riots targeting black individuals broke out in several cities after the match.
Movement Manufacturer Information
The movement inside of this watch was made by Rockford Watch Company. We call this model "The Rockford" because the company was located in Rockford Illinois.
The Rockford Watch Company began operation in 1873 with equipment purchased from the Cornell Watch Company. Four hundred local businesses and individuals pledged $150,000 (over $3mil with inflation) of support to stimulate the growth of their town. The company struggled to keep up with demand early on, and eventually went bankrupt. Rockford was rejuvenated in 1901, but a major fire and lightning strike slowed the company further in 1903. By 1915 the company closed its doors, though the building still stands vacant.
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Watch Specifications
- Manufacturer: Vortic Watch Company
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Diameter: 49mm
- Case Material: Machined Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Rockford Watch Company
- Serial Number: 802880
- Manufacture Year: 1910
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 16s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Rockford Watch Company originally manufactured the Rockford 002’s pocket watch in Rockford, Illinois, in 1910 — the same year that Jack Johnson, the first black World Heavyweight Champion, beat James J. Jeffries in the World Heavyweight Championship of Boxing in Reno, Nevada. Jeffries was previously undefeated and came out of retirement to fight Johnson in what’s today known as the “fight of the century.” The fight served as a critical moment in African-American sports history. Leading up to the match, the press and much of the general public referred to James J. Jeffries as the “Great White Hope,” and famous author Jack London wrote that Jeffries was “the chosen representative of the white race.” Much to racist Americans’ dismay, Johnson defeated Jeffries in the fifteenth round. Tragically, a series of race riots targeting black individuals broke out in several cities after the match.
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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.
