Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 117 unique:
We take great pride in restoring pieces of American watchmaking history, and the Springfield 117 is no exception. This watch features a beautifully preserved antique pocket watch dial with an intricate engine-turned pattern, showcasing concentric rings that radiate from the center. The bold, serifed numerals and distinct blued steel hands give this piece a timeless elegance, while the warm patina on the dial reminds us of its nearly 100-year journey.
Inside, you’ll find a remarkable Illinois Watch Company movement, originally crafted in 1922. This movement is particularly special—engraved with “21 Special,” it signifies a high-grade 21-jewel movement, built for accuracy and durability. Watches like these were once the pinnacle of American craftsmanship, designed for precision timekeeping at a time when reliability was paramount. In 1922, America was moving forward at full speed, and Illinois was manufacturing some of the finest pocket watches in the world. That same year, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C., cementing the legacy of one of America’s greatest leaders—a fitting parallel to this watch, a piece of American history preserved for the future.
To complete this watch, we housed the movement in our machined stainless steel case, allowing the details of the dial and movement to take center stage. The finishing touch is a premium American-made leather strap that pairs beautifully with the warmth of the dial. Every element of this watch is a testament to our commitment to preserving history and showcasing the best of American manufacturing.
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: 2025
- 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: 4126791
- Manufacture Year: 1922
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 21 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 117 unique:
We take great pride in restoring pieces of American watchmaking history, and the Springfield 117 is no exception. This watch features a beautifully preserved antique pocket watch dial with an intricate engine-turned pattern, showcasing concentric rings that radiate from the center. The bold, serifed numerals and distinct blued steel hands give this piece a timeless elegance, while the warm patina on the dial reminds us of its nearly 100-year journey.
Inside, you’ll find a remarkable Illinois Watch Company movement, originally crafted in 1922. This movement is particularly special—engraved with “21 Special,” it signifies a high-grade 21-jewel movement, built for accuracy and durability. Watches like these were once the pinnacle of American craftsmanship, designed for precision timekeeping at a time when reliability was paramount. In 1922, America was moving forward at full speed, and Illinois was manufacturing some of the finest pocket watches in the world. That same year, the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated in Washington, D.C., cementing the legacy of one of America’s greatest leaders—a fitting parallel to this watch, a piece of American history preserved for the future.
To complete this watch, we housed the movement in our machined stainless steel case, allowing the details of the dial and movement to take center stage. The finishing touch is a premium American-made leather strap that pairs beautifully with the warmth of the dial. Every element of this watch is a testament to our commitment to preserving history and showcasing the best of American manufacturing.
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.
