Watch Description
What Makes The Springfield 078 Unique:
The Springfield 078 is defined by clarity, balance, and purposeful design. Its bright white Silver Medal dial presents a clean, highly legible layout, framed by bold black Arabic numerals and a precise railroad minute track around the perimeter. At 6 o’clock, a recessed sub-seconds dial adds depth and symmetry, reinforcing the instrument-like aesthetic these dials were known for. We preserved the original blued-steel hands, whose deep blue tone contrasts crisply against the dial, while custom-applied lume on both the hands and select indices enhances low-light readability without disrupting the watch’s vintage character.
Inside, this watch is powered by a 17-jewel Illinois movement manufactured in 1920, originally paired with the Silver Medal dial as a matched set. These movements were respected for their reliability and careful finishing, and through the open caseback you’ll find Geneva-striped bridges, polished steel components, and gold-plated gears that catch the light as the movement runs. The pairing of dial and movement reflects a thoughtful balance between precision, durability, and refined craftsmanship. The movement is also marked “silver medal,” which is something we don’t see often!
The case is machined from stainless steel and finished cleanly to complement the crisp dial, with a smooth bronze bezel adding a subtle warmth that echoes early 20th-century pocket watch design. A knurled polished-steel crown provides tactile grip while maintaining a period-correct profile. The watch is finished with a chocolate-toned leather strap that grounds the bright dial and bronze bezel, giving the piece a confident, versatile presence on the wrist.
In 1920, American watchmakers were refining standards of precision as wristwatches began gaining broader acceptance beyond the pocket. That same year, the Illinois Watch Company continued producing dependable, high-quality movements designed for accuracy and everyday reliability—values that are clearly reflected in the Silver Medal line. The Springfield 078 carries that legacy forward, preserving a moment when American watchmaking was evolving while still holding firmly to its roots.
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.
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Watch Specifications
- Manufacturer: Vortic Watch Company
- Model Year: 2025
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Diameter: 45mm
- Case Material: Machined Stainless Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Front: Domed Sapphire Back: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: 22mm Chocolate Leather by Hadley Roma with Steel Buckle
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3646408
- Manufacture Year: 1920
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original Blued-Steel Hands
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What Makes The Springfield 078 Unique:
The Springfield 078 is defined by clarity, balance, and purposeful design. Its bright white Silver Medal dial presents a clean, highly legible layout, framed by bold black Arabic numerals and a precise railroad minute track around the perimeter. At 6 o’clock, a recessed sub-seconds dial adds depth and symmetry, reinforcing the instrument-like aesthetic these dials were known for. We preserved the original blued-steel hands, whose deep blue tone contrasts crisply against the dial, while custom-applied lume on both the hands and select indices enhances low-light readability without disrupting the watch’s vintage character.
Inside, this watch is powered by a 17-jewel Illinois movement manufactured in 1920, originally paired with the Silver Medal dial as a matched set. These movements were respected for their reliability and careful finishing, and through the open caseback you’ll find Geneva-striped bridges, polished steel components, and gold-plated gears that catch the light as the movement runs. The pairing of dial and movement reflects a thoughtful balance between precision, durability, and refined craftsmanship. The movement is also marked “silver medal,” which is something we don’t see often!
The case is machined from stainless steel and finished cleanly to complement the crisp dial, with a smooth bronze bezel adding a subtle warmth that echoes early 20th-century pocket watch design. A knurled polished-steel crown provides tactile grip while maintaining a period-correct profile. The watch is finished with a chocolate-toned leather strap that grounds the bright dial and bronze bezel, giving the piece a confident, versatile presence on the wrist.
In 1920, American watchmakers were refining standards of precision as wristwatches began gaining broader acceptance beyond the pocket. That same year, the Illinois Watch Company continued producing dependable, high-quality movements designed for accuracy and everyday reliability—values that are clearly reflected in the Silver Medal line. The Springfield 078 carries that legacy forward, preserving a moment when American watchmaking was evolving while still holding firmly to its roots.
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.
