Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 138 unique:
The Springfield 138 pairs symmetry and subtle patina in a beautifully preserved design from the Illinois Watch Company. Its parchment-toned dial features a rich speckled texture that creates soft visual movement across the surface—almost like aged vellum. Large, rounded numerals arc cleanly around the face, their legibility enhanced by the gently contrasting railroad-style minute track and recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock. A set of heat-blued diamond/kite-style hands adds crisp contrast, catching the light as they hover above the dial’s worn texture.
Inside, this timepiece houses a 17-jewel movement manufactured by Illinois in 1924. The movement is engraved with “The Garland”, one of Illinois Watch Company’s unique private-label names—a designation often created for specific retailers or markets to elevate the watch's perceived prestige. The flowing script is accompanied by intricate Geneva stripes, gold-plated gears, and polished steel components, all visible through the open caseback. This rare inscription adds a layer of provenance and charm, connecting the watch to the rich landscape of early 20th-century American horology.
The watch is set in a 45mm machined stainless steel case with a sandblasted coin-edge bezel and a matching knurled sandblasted-steel crown. The clean finish of the case complements the aged dial without distraction, letting the original character take center stage. It’s completed with a cognac-toned American-made leather strap, adding warmth and balance to the overall look.
In 1924—the same year this movement was made—American manufacturing reached new heights when IBM introduced its first punch-card accounting machine. Designed to streamline business operations, this innovation symbolized the early momentum of modern automation. Much like this watch, it blended mechanical ingenuity with elegant design to change the way we worked, lived, and kept time.
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.
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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 Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4541111
- Manufacture Year: 1924
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 138 unique:
The Springfield 138 pairs symmetry and subtle patina in a beautifully preserved design from the Illinois Watch Company. Its parchment-toned dial features a rich speckled texture that creates soft visual movement across the surface—almost like aged vellum. Large, rounded numerals arc cleanly around the face, their legibility enhanced by the gently contrasting railroad-style minute track and recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock. A set of heat-blued diamond/kite-style hands adds crisp contrast, catching the light as they hover above the dial’s worn texture.
Inside, this timepiece houses a 17-jewel movement manufactured by Illinois in 1924. The movement is engraved with “The Garland”, one of Illinois Watch Company’s unique private-label names—a designation often created for specific retailers or markets to elevate the watch's perceived prestige. The flowing script is accompanied by intricate Geneva stripes, gold-plated gears, and polished steel components, all visible through the open caseback. This rare inscription adds a layer of provenance and charm, connecting the watch to the rich landscape of early 20th-century American horology.
The watch is set in a 45mm machined stainless steel case with a sandblasted coin-edge bezel and a matching knurled sandblasted-steel crown. The clean finish of the case complements the aged dial without distraction, letting the original character take center stage. It’s completed with a cognac-toned American-made leather strap, adding warmth and balance to the overall look.
In 1924—the same year this movement was made—American manufacturing reached new heights when IBM introduced its first punch-card accounting machine. Designed to streamline business operations, this innovation symbolized the early momentum of modern automation. Much like this watch, it blended mechanical ingenuity with elegant design to change the way we worked, lived, and kept time.
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.
