Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 106 unique:
The Springfield 106 is a striking example of American watchmaking excellence, featuring the rare “Santa Fe Special” insignia prominently displayed on both the dial and the restored 1920 Illinois movement. This designation was historically associated with the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, known for its commitment to punctuality and precision. Watches bearing this name were often used by railway workers who needed to rely on accurate timekeeping during their journeys across America’s expansive rail network.
The dial of the Springfield 106 boasts a pristine white finish accented by bold black numerals, a striking red outer minute track, and blued steel hands that evoke a sense of timeless elegance. The balanced design is completed by a sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock, reinforcing the watch’s purpose-driven heritage.
Encased in machined stainless steel with a coin-edge bezel and a knurled crown, this timepiece blends vintage craftsmanship with modern durability. In 1920—the year this pocket watch movement was produced—the U.S. experienced significant milestones, including the completion of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. This era of progress and change mirrors the Springfield 106’s timeless legacy of precision and innovation.
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 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: 3738647
- Manufacture Year: 1920
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 21 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 106 unique:
The Springfield 106 is a striking example of American watchmaking excellence, featuring the rare “Santa Fe Special” insignia prominently displayed on both the dial and the restored 1920 Illinois movement. This designation was historically associated with the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, known for its commitment to punctuality and precision. Watches bearing this name were often used by railway workers who needed to rely on accurate timekeeping during their journeys across America’s expansive rail network.
The dial of the Springfield 106 boasts a pristine white finish accented by bold black numerals, a striking red outer minute track, and blued steel hands that evoke a sense of timeless elegance. The balanced design is completed by a sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock, reinforcing the watch’s purpose-driven heritage.
Encased in machined stainless steel with a coin-edge bezel and a knurled crown, this timepiece blends vintage craftsmanship with modern durability. In 1920—the year this pocket watch movement was produced—the U.S. experienced significant milestones, including the completion of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. This era of progress and change mirrors the Springfield 106’s timeless legacy of precision and innovation.
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.
