Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 048 unique: This watch is spectacular! The Springfield 048 features a pocket watch originally manufactured in 1922 by the Illinois Watch Company as a private-label piece for the Rosenfield-Simone Jewelry Company of St. Joseph, Missouri. Illinois movements made for that company were marked "Federal" and had these unique waves machined into them. We can't decide if we like the front or the back of this timepiece better - the dial, with its 'freckled' patina and ornate engravings, almost glows in the light, and the open case back reveals a 21-jewel movement with a sunburst pattern. We opted for a stainless steel case with a coin-edged bezel and a tobacco leather strap to complete the conversion. This 45mm Vortic watch certainly has some stories to tell.
Movement Manufacturer Information
The movement inside of this watch was made by Illinois Watch Company. We call this model "The Springfield" because the company was located in Springfield, Illinois.
Originally called the Springfield Watch Company, Illinois came to Springfield, Illinois in 1869 while the "modern" watch industry was fairly new but highly promising. City officials felt that the addition of industry to the city of Springfield would be excellent for the city's growth. However, after a series of failures and re-brandings, the company had a slow start until 1903 when they decided to manufacture high-quality watches only. Eventually making some of the most beautiful watches of their time, the company sold to Hamilton in 1927. Hamilton continued producing watches under the Illinois name for some time, but the original Springfield factory no longer stands.
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: 2023
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 45mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Machined Stainless Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4154429
- Manufacture Year: 1922
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 21 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 048 unique: This watch is spectacular! The Springfield 048 features a pocket watch originally manufactured in 1922 by the Illinois Watch Company as a private-label piece for the Rosenfield-Simone Jewelry Company of St. Joseph, Missouri. Illinois movements made for that company were marked "Federal" and had these unique waves machined into them. We can't decide if we like the front or the back of this timepiece better - the dial, with its 'freckled' patina and ornate engravings, almost glows in the light, and the open case back reveals a 21-jewel movement with a sunburst pattern. We opted for a stainless steel case with a coin-edged bezel and a tobacco leather strap to complete the conversion. This 45mm Vortic watch certainly has some stories to tell.
Let customers speak for us
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.
