Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 135 unique:
The Springfield 135 brings early 20th-century legibility and precision into sharp focus with a crisp white dial that radiates timeless simplicity. Bold black numerals circle the dial with confident clarity, complemented by triangle minute markers that add a subtle touch of utility. The heavy moon-style hands in heat-blued steel reinforce the dial’s rounded design language—echoed by the perfectly circular sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock. This composition feels both deliberate and inviting, with each element contributing to a clean, cohesive visual rhythm.
Inside, you’ll find a 17-jewel Illinois movement manufactured in 1919. One of the standout details of this piece is the movement’s rare “Plymouth | Illinois Watch Co | Springfield” engraving—marking it as part of a short-lived branding experiment by the Illinois Watch Company during the post–World War I era. “Plymouth” was used to designate specific models or distribution lines, and today, that naming adds a layer of historical intrigue and collectability. The movement bridges are decorated with feathered concentric rings—an elegant form of engine turning that gives the plates depth, texture, and a shimmering quality under light.
This antique movement is housed in a machined titanium case with a polished titanium bezel and a knurled sandblasted titanium crown. A rich navy-blue leather strap completes the build, offering a modern pop of color that complements the traditional dial and contemporary case finish with effortless style.
In 1919, the Grand Canyon was designated as a national park, preserving one of America’s most iconic landscapes for future generations. Just like that historic milestone, this watch serves as a reminder of the beauty and ingenuity that define our nation’s legacy.
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 Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3605999
- Manufacture Year: 1919
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 135 unique:
The Springfield 135 brings early 20th-century legibility and precision into sharp focus with a crisp white dial that radiates timeless simplicity. Bold black numerals circle the dial with confident clarity, complemented by triangle minute markers that add a subtle touch of utility. The heavy moon-style hands in heat-blued steel reinforce the dial’s rounded design language—echoed by the perfectly circular sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock. This composition feels both deliberate and inviting, with each element contributing to a clean, cohesive visual rhythm.
Inside, you’ll find a 17-jewel Illinois movement manufactured in 1919. One of the standout details of this piece is the movement’s rare “Plymouth | Illinois Watch Co | Springfield” engraving—marking it as part of a short-lived branding experiment by the Illinois Watch Company during the post–World War I era. “Plymouth” was used to designate specific models or distribution lines, and today, that naming adds a layer of historical intrigue and collectability. The movement bridges are decorated with feathered concentric rings—an elegant form of engine turning that gives the plates depth, texture, and a shimmering quality under light.
This antique movement is housed in a machined titanium case with a polished titanium bezel and a knurled sandblasted titanium crown. A rich navy-blue leather strap completes the build, offering a modern pop of color that complements the traditional dial and contemporary case finish with effortless style.
In 1919, the Grand Canyon was designated as a national park, preserving one of America’s most iconic landscapes for future generations. Just like that historic milestone, this watch serves as a reminder of the beauty and ingenuity that define our nation’s legacy.
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.
