Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 132 unique:
Few antique dials have aged as gracefully as the one found on The Springfield 132. Nearly a century later, its pale ivory surface remains remarkably clean, revealing only the faintest signs of time. Bold, stylized numerals circle the display with crisp clarity, while blued steel diamond-style hands—often referred to as “kite” hands—add subtle vibrance as they shift in tone with the light. A recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock provides balanced composition and vintage charm.
Inside, this watch houses a 17-jewel movement crafted by the Illinois Watch Company in 1922. Known as “The Autocrat,” this designation marked a higher-grade movement built for both precision and beauty. Through the open caseback, fine Geneva stripes sweep across the bridges, accented by gold-filled engravings and polished steel components that reflect the pride of early American craftsmanship.
The restored movement is encased in sandblasted titanium, chosen for its lightweight strength and understated texture. A smooth sandblasted bezel complements the case, while a knurled titanium crown provides confident grip and tactile precision. The warm American-made leather strap ties the composition together, adding organic contrast to the cool metallic tones of the case and dial.
In 1922, American race car driver Ralph DePalma became the first to complete 2,000 miles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway—an endurance milestone that pushed the boundaries of both man and machine. The Springfield 132 embodies that same spirit of perseverance and innovation, preserving the precision and artistry that defined America’s golden age of engineering.
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: Sandblasted Titanitum
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3988037
- Manufacture Year: 1922
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 132 unique:
Few antique dials have aged as gracefully as the one found on The Springfield 132. Nearly a century later, its pale ivory surface remains remarkably clean, revealing only the faintest signs of time. Bold, stylized numerals circle the display with crisp clarity, while blued steel diamond-style hands—often referred to as “kite” hands—add subtle vibrance as they shift in tone with the light. A recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock provides balanced composition and vintage charm.
Inside, this watch houses a 17-jewel movement crafted by the Illinois Watch Company in 1922. Known as “The Autocrat,” this designation marked a higher-grade movement built for both precision and beauty. Through the open caseback, fine Geneva stripes sweep across the bridges, accented by gold-filled engravings and polished steel components that reflect the pride of early American craftsmanship.
The restored movement is encased in sandblasted titanium, chosen for its lightweight strength and understated texture. A smooth sandblasted bezel complements the case, while a knurled titanium crown provides confident grip and tactile precision. The warm American-made leather strap ties the composition together, adding organic contrast to the cool metallic tones of the case and dial.
In 1922, American race car driver Ralph DePalma became the first to complete 2,000 miles at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway—an endurance milestone that pushed the boundaries of both man and machine. The Springfield 132 embodies that same spirit of perseverance and innovation, preserving the precision and artistry that defined America’s golden age of engineering.
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.
