Watch Description
What Makes The Springfield 187 Unique:
The Springfield 187 captures the understated elegance that defined Illinois Watch Company during the late 1910s. Built around a 17-jewel Illinois movement manufactured in 1917, this watch represents an era when precision and restraint often went hand in hand. Rather than relying on elaborate decoration, the Springfield 187 makes its impression through balance, warm natural aging, and exceptional preservation, resulting in a watch that feels every bit as timeless today as it did more than a century ago.
The first thing collectors will notice is the beautifully aged golden dial, whose rich honey patina has developed naturally over the past century while remaining remarkably even across its surface. Crisp black Arabic numerals provide outstanding legibility against the warm background, while the clean railroad-style minute track and recessed sub-seconds register maintain the precision-focused layout that Illinois was known for. Original blued breguet-style hands offer a vivid splash of color, standing out beautifully against the dial while showcasing the heat-blued finish that collectors always appreciate. Light, honest aging throughout the dial gives the watch genuine character without distracting from its exceptional readability.
Turning the watch over reveals the original 17-jewel Illinois movement, whose intricate damaskeened bridges shimmer beneath the sapphire exhibition caseback. Gold jewel settings contrast elegantly against the striped finish, while polished steel components and the exposed balance wheel demonstrate the thoughtful engineering that helped establish Illinois as one of America's premier watch manufacturers. Manufactured in 1917, this movement reflects a period when Illinois balanced dependable performance with refined finishing, creating watches intended to serve their owners reliably for generations.
The movement is housed inside Vortic's 45mm Springfield case, machined from sandblasted 316L stainless steel. The soft matte finish complements the warm golden tones of the dial while allowing the vibrant blued hands to remain the visual focal point. A machined stainless steel crown and American-made 22mm Tobacco leather strap complete the package, providing a clean, versatile appearance that pairs naturally with both casual and formal attire.
With its warm century-old patina, original blued breguet-style hands, beautifully preserved Illinois movement, and timeless simplicity, the Springfield 187 is an outstanding example of why early Illinois watches continue to be so admired by collectors. It is a watch whose beauty comes not from excess, but from more than one hundred years of honest history preserved with remarkable grace.
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 Diameter: 45mm
- Case Material: Sandblasted Stainless Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: 22mm Tan Leather Strap by Worn & Wound with Steel Buckle
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3133348
- Manufacture Year: 1917
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What Makes The Springfield 187 Unique:
The Springfield 187 captures the understated elegance that defined Illinois Watch Company during the late 1910s. Built around a 17-jewel Illinois movement manufactured in 1917, this watch represents an era when precision and restraint often went hand in hand. Rather than relying on elaborate decoration, the Springfield 187 makes its impression through balance, warm natural aging, and exceptional preservation, resulting in a watch that feels every bit as timeless today as it did more than a century ago.
The first thing collectors will notice is the beautifully aged golden dial, whose rich honey patina has developed naturally over the past century while remaining remarkably even across its surface. Crisp black Arabic numerals provide outstanding legibility against the warm background, while the clean railroad-style minute track and recessed sub-seconds register maintain the precision-focused layout that Illinois was known for. Original blued breguet-style hands offer a vivid splash of color, standing out beautifully against the dial while showcasing the heat-blued finish that collectors always appreciate. Light, honest aging throughout the dial gives the watch genuine character without distracting from its exceptional readability.
Turning the watch over reveals the original 17-jewel Illinois movement, whose intricate damaskeened bridges shimmer beneath the sapphire exhibition caseback. Gold jewel settings contrast elegantly against the striped finish, while polished steel components and the exposed balance wheel demonstrate the thoughtful engineering that helped establish Illinois as one of America's premier watch manufacturers. Manufactured in 1917, this movement reflects a period when Illinois balanced dependable performance with refined finishing, creating watches intended to serve their owners reliably for generations.
The movement is housed inside Vortic's 45mm Springfield case, machined from sandblasted 316L stainless steel. The soft matte finish complements the warm golden tones of the dial while allowing the vibrant blued hands to remain the visual focal point. A machined stainless steel crown and American-made 22mm Tobacco leather strap complete the package, providing a clean, versatile appearance that pairs naturally with both casual and formal attire.
With its warm century-old patina, original blued breguet-style hands, beautifully preserved Illinois movement, and timeless simplicity, the Springfield 187 is an outstanding example of why early Illinois watches continue to be so admired by collectors. It is a watch whose beauty comes not from excess, but from more than one hundred years of honest history preserved with remarkable grace.
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.
