Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 155 unique:
The Springfield 155 presents a beautifully weathered dial that captures a century of character and craftsmanship. Its champagne-toned surface is speckled with natural aging and anchored by a brushed metal center ring—a rare circular feature that adds dimensionality and balance to the design. Surrounding this centerpiece are squared Arabic numerals and matching squared minute markers, offering a geometric symmetry that feels both utilitarian and intentional. A recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock mirrors the dial’s finish, complete with its own subtle brushing and a matching heat-blued hand. At the center, a pair of deep blue diamond kite hands slice crisply across the dial, adding contrast and vintage elegance.
Inside, this watch houses a 17-jewel Illinois movement from 1923, originally part of the "DeLuxe" series—a designation reserved for higher-tier watches featuring elevated decoration and mechanical refinement. The open caseback reveals the movement’s ornate feathered engraving texture across the bridge plates, intricate gold-toned gears, and ruby jewel settings. Most notably, this piece features a double roller escapement, a technical improvement over single roller systems that enhanced timekeeping stability and shock resistance—a mark of mechanical advancement during its era.
This historic movement is set in a 45mm machined titanium case with a brushed finish and angled bezel, paired with a knurled, tumbled titanium crown for tactile grip and rugged appeal. A black Horween leather strap with contrast stitching ties the composition together, complementing both the aged patina of the dial and the raw finish of the titanium. Altogether, The Springfield 155 is a bold yet refined testament to functional elegance, antique precision, and American heritage.
In 1923, Garrett Morgan—one of America’s most prolific Black inventors—secured a patent for his three-position traffic signal, revolutionizing road safety. His innovation laid the groundwork for modern traffic systems, embodying the same spirit of precision and forward-thinking that defines this timepiece.
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 Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Titanium
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4347448
- Manufacture Year: 1923
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 155 unique:
The Springfield 155 presents a beautifully weathered dial that captures a century of character and craftsmanship. Its champagne-toned surface is speckled with natural aging and anchored by a brushed metal center ring—a rare circular feature that adds dimensionality and balance to the design. Surrounding this centerpiece are squared Arabic numerals and matching squared minute markers, offering a geometric symmetry that feels both utilitarian and intentional. A recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock mirrors the dial’s finish, complete with its own subtle brushing and a matching heat-blued hand. At the center, a pair of deep blue diamond kite hands slice crisply across the dial, adding contrast and vintage elegance.
Inside, this watch houses a 17-jewel Illinois movement from 1923, originally part of the "DeLuxe" series—a designation reserved for higher-tier watches featuring elevated decoration and mechanical refinement. The open caseback reveals the movement’s ornate feathered engraving texture across the bridge plates, intricate gold-toned gears, and ruby jewel settings. Most notably, this piece features a double roller escapement, a technical improvement over single roller systems that enhanced timekeeping stability and shock resistance—a mark of mechanical advancement during its era.
This historic movement is set in a 45mm machined titanium case with a brushed finish and angled bezel, paired with a knurled, tumbled titanium crown for tactile grip and rugged appeal. A black Horween leather strap with contrast stitching ties the composition together, complementing both the aged patina of the dial and the raw finish of the titanium. Altogether, The Springfield 155 is a bold yet refined testament to functional elegance, antique precision, and American heritage.
In 1923, Garrett Morgan—one of America’s most prolific Black inventors—secured a patent for his three-position traffic signal, revolutionizing road safety. His innovation laid the groundwork for modern traffic systems, embodying the same spirit of precision and forward-thinking that defines this timepiece.
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.
