Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 125 unique:
This remarkable piece from our American Artisan Series features a warm, patinaed dial that radiates vintage charm. Its golden tones are beautifully contrasted by bold black numerals and a sunk sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock, offering a pleasing visual depth. Slender silver diamond hands sweep across the dial with quiet elegance, adding a touch of refined craftsmanship to this otherwise rugged aesthetic.
Housed inside is a historic Illinois Watch Company movement from 1926. The intricate bridgework is decorated with sharply defined Geneva stripes and accented by polished gears and gold-plated components, offering a glimpse into the mechanical artistry of early American watchmaking. Each detail tells the story of a time when precision and design were held in perfect balance.
We’ve paired this movement with a stonewashed titanium case and a polished titanium bezel, offering a sleek, modern contrast to the warmth of the dial. The knurled machined-steel crown adds a tactile feel to the winding experience, while a natural rye-toned leather strap ties everything together with classic appeal.
In 1926, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was formed by the Radio Corporation of America, marking a turning point in American media. Just as NBC helped usher in a new era of nationwide communication, watches like this one represent an era when America was leading the world in both innovation and craftsmanship. This piece stands as a wearable testament to that golden age.
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: Stonewashed Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4824222
- Manufacture Year: 1926
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 125 unique:
This remarkable piece from our American Artisan Series features a warm, patinaed dial that radiates vintage charm. Its golden tones are beautifully contrasted by bold black numerals and a sunk sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock, offering a pleasing visual depth. Slender silver diamond hands sweep across the dial with quiet elegance, adding a touch of refined craftsmanship to this otherwise rugged aesthetic.
Housed inside is a historic Illinois Watch Company movement from 1926. The intricate bridgework is decorated with sharply defined Geneva stripes and accented by polished gears and gold-plated components, offering a glimpse into the mechanical artistry of early American watchmaking. Each detail tells the story of a time when precision and design were held in perfect balance.
We’ve paired this movement with a stonewashed titanium case and a polished titanium bezel, offering a sleek, modern contrast to the warmth of the dial. The knurled machined-steel crown adds a tactile feel to the winding experience, while a natural rye-toned leather strap ties everything together with classic appeal.
In 1926, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was formed by the Radio Corporation of America, marking a turning point in American media. Just as NBC helped usher in a new era of nationwide communication, watches like this one represent an era when America was leading the world in both innovation and craftsmanship. This piece stands as a wearable testament to that golden age.
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.
