Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 070 unique: Our bronze case is the only material that can contain the stately grandeur of this Illinois Sterling pocket watch conversion. The Art Deco font of the Arabic numerals pairs perfectly with its comparatively severe, angular bronze bezel. The proportions of the dial's center, seconds subdial, and brushed, gilt outer dial are perfectly balanced, and that balance is maintained throughout the rest of the piece by every component, including the thickness of the bezel and the dimensions of the bronze crown and the case's 45 mm body and 22 mm lugs.
The sophisticated, golden dial decorations, stamped with vertical stripes in alternating patterns, are enclosed in an arc of leaves overtop the sunken seconds subdial with radially grooved texture. In an unconventional and special twist, the dial's signature reads Illinois Sterling, with the latter, the model's name, appearing directly below the brand name in the same size of serif font.
The model name is also reflected on the watch's two-tone double roller movement, engraved in cursive directly above the brand name on the bridge plate. All screws, as well as the regulator spring and balance-wheel, are gold-plated, and the movement has been decorated with circles radiating from the center jewel and elegant striping on the outer plates. The 17 jewel movement is in excellent condition despite its 98 years of age, and our expert watchmakers have serviced and regulated it to keep time and look fantastic for many years to come.
We celebrate the timeless contrast of black and gold with our choice of an ebony top-grain leather strap made in America with leather from American cattle. The strap has a smooth texture on the outer side and a comfortable grain on the inside with ivory stitching. It is held in place by our study torx-head strap bars, machined right here in our workshop in downtown Fort Collins, Colorado.
Although its dial and movement were produced in 1926, after a Vortic conversion, this level of class and craftsmanship will never go out of style.
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: 2024
- 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: 4801018
- Manufacture Year: 1926
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 070 unique: Our bronze case is the only material that can contain the stately grandeur of this Illinois Sterling pocket watch conversion. The Art Deco font of the Arabic numerals pairs perfectly with its comparatively severe, angular bronze bezel. The proportions of the dial's center, seconds subdial, and brushed, gilt outer dial are perfectly balanced, and that balance is maintained throughout the rest of the piece by every component, including the thickness of the bezel and the dimensions of the bronze crown and the case's 45 mm body and 22 mm lugs.
The sophisticated, golden dial decorations, stamped with vertical stripes in alternating patterns, are enclosed in an arc of leaves overtop the sunken seconds subdial with radially grooved texture. In an unconventional and special twist, the dial's signature reads Illinois Sterling, with the latter, the model's name, appearing directly below the brand name in the same size of serif font.
The model name is also reflected on the watch's two-tone double roller movement, engraved in cursive directly above the brand name on the bridge plate. All screws, as well as the regulator spring and balance-wheel, are gold-plated, and the movement has been decorated with circles radiating from the center jewel and elegant striping on the outer plates. The 17 jewel movement is in excellent condition despite its 98 years of age, and our expert watchmakers have serviced and regulated it to keep time and look fantastic for many years to come.
We celebrate the timeless contrast of black and gold with our choice of an ebony top-grain leather strap made in America with leather from American cattle. The strap has a smooth texture on the outer side and a comfortable grain on the inside with ivory stitching. It is held in place by our study torx-head strap bars, machined right here in our workshop in downtown Fort Collins, Colorado.
Although its dial and movement were produced in 1926, after a Vortic conversion, this level of class and craftsmanship will never go out of style.
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.
