Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 438 unique: Today we are thrilled to release this amazing watch from the Illinois Watch Company, our Springfield 438. We really love how the different earth tones of this softly aged dial work well with this gunmetal titanium case and decided to add in an additional touch of green with our marsh strap. These open kite hands stand out with their blued-steel finish, while the nickel-plated crown and hardware add a touch of flare. As we turn this watch over to reveal the movement inside, we are immediately drawn to the clean and crisp Geneva lines that are showcased all across the multiple build plates. More stainless steel hardware holds down the 17 screw-set jewels that are sprinkled throughout to keep everything spinning smoothly. Gold-plated gears and a brass balance wheel add some additional color to keep the eye moving all around this complicated movement. This watch was originally manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois in 1923. This is also the first year that we saw electric, automatic traffic lights entering the roads in America. Garrett Morgan invented and patented the first traffic light that was designed in a T shape, and had three different lights used to stop all of the traffic at an intersection before signaling one section to continue moving. He later sold the patent to General Electric for $40,000.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
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 47mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Gunmetal Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4181419
- Manufacture Year: 1923
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
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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.
