Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 125 unique:
The Springfield 125 embodies warmth and authenticity, featuring a golden dial that has aged with graceful character over nearly a century. Its softly brushed texture and natural patina evoke the craftsmanship of a bygone era, complemented by bold black numerals and a recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock. Slender silver diamond-style hands bring subtle contrast, catching the light as they glide across the dial’s golden surface.
Inside, this watch houses a 17-jewel Illinois Watch Company movement originally manufactured in 1926. Through the open caseback, the movement reveals sharply defined Geneva stripes, polished bridges, and gold-plated gears—each detail reflecting the artistry and mechanical precision of American watchmaking at its height. Restored by hand, it remains as functional as it is beautiful, bridging past and present in perfect harmony.
The movement is encased in stonewashed titanium, offering a rugged yet refined finish that complements the dial’s vintage warmth. A polished titanium bezel adds a touch of brightness, while a knurled machined-steel crown and rye-toned leather strap complete the composition with tactile balance and understated sophistication.
In 1926, the same year this movement was crafted, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) began its first radio broadcasts—marking a new era of connection and innovation in American history. The Springfield 125 captures that same pioneering spirit, preserving the legacy of American craftsmanship in wearable form.
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:
The Springfield 125 embodies warmth and authenticity, featuring a golden dial that has aged with graceful character over nearly a century. Its softly brushed texture and natural patina evoke the craftsmanship of a bygone era, complemented by bold black numerals and a recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock. Slender silver diamond-style hands bring subtle contrast, catching the light as they glide across the dial’s golden surface.
Inside, this watch houses a 17-jewel Illinois Watch Company movement originally manufactured in 1926. Through the open caseback, the movement reveals sharply defined Geneva stripes, polished bridges, and gold-plated gears—each detail reflecting the artistry and mechanical precision of American watchmaking at its height. Restored by hand, it remains as functional as it is beautiful, bridging past and present in perfect harmony.
The movement is encased in stonewashed titanium, offering a rugged yet refined finish that complements the dial’s vintage warmth. A polished titanium bezel adds a touch of brightness, while a knurled machined-steel crown and rye-toned leather strap complete the composition with tactile balance and understated sophistication.
In 1926, the same year this movement was crafted, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) began its first radio broadcasts—marking a new era of connection and innovation in American history. The Springfield 125 captures that same pioneering spirit, preserving the legacy of American craftsmanship in wearable form.
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.
