Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 069 unique: This watch, with its rare secometer in place of a standard seconds subdial, makes no bones about the effects of a long, full life. Cosmetically, aesthetically, and stylistically it is unapologetically of another era. The white, Illinois-signed dial proudly bears the marks of its 99 years of age. The font of its Arabic numerals would be at home on a wooden sign above the swinging doors of a Wild-West-era saloon, and the Gothic-style hands accentuate the feeling of this watch being built to be worn while riding horseback across the frontier.
A bronze case and crown were a natural fit to further showcase the appeal of the aging process in this one-of-a-kind timepiece. Those bronze components will patina and darken over time due to the chemical reaction of certain copper-containing metals when exposed to oxygen, moisture, and atmospheric chemicals. Unlike rust on steel and iron, bronze patina doesn't corrode or weaken the material but actually creates an elemental barrier that protects it from harmful corrosion.
The strap, likewise, seems as if it were made specifically for this watch. The raw-finished leather, with its visible grain and imperfections, completes this Vortic conversion which not only highlights the beauty of the age and history of these antique American pocketwatch movements and dials but also celebrates the fact that these watches have a lifetime of stories to tell and are built to last, ready to collect countless stories of your own life and legacy.
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 Bronze
- Crown/Hardware: Bronze
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4613117
- Manufacture Year: 1925
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 19 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 069 unique: This watch, with its rare secometer in place of a standard seconds subdial, makes no bones about the effects of a long, full life. Cosmetically, aesthetically, and stylistically it is unapologetically of another era. The white, Illinois-signed dial proudly bears the marks of its 99 years of age. The font of its Arabic numerals would be at home on a wooden sign above the swinging doors of a Wild-West-era saloon, and the Gothic-style hands accentuate the feeling of this watch being built to be worn while riding horseback across the frontier.
A bronze case and crown were a natural fit to further showcase the appeal of the aging process in this one-of-a-kind timepiece. Those bronze components will patina and darken over time due to the chemical reaction of certain copper-containing metals when exposed to oxygen, moisture, and atmospheric chemicals. Unlike rust on steel and iron, bronze patina doesn't corrode or weaken the material but actually creates an elemental barrier that protects it from harmful corrosion.
The strap, likewise, seems as if it were made specifically for this watch. The raw-finished leather, with its visible grain and imperfections, completes this Vortic conversion which not only highlights the beauty of the age and history of these antique American pocketwatch movements and dials but also celebrates the fact that these watches have a lifetime of stories to tell and are built to last, ready to collect countless stories of your own life and legacy.
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.
