Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 447 unique:
The Springfield 447 showcases a breathtaking display of craftsmanship, elegance, and American history—brought to life through one of the most ornate dials we’ve handled in recent memory. At the heart of the watch is a bold display of gold-accented engraving, curling into intricate leaf-like scrollwork that radiates outward from the center. The dial’s surface has gracefully aged over time, revealing soft speckling and slight wear that enhances its authenticity and depth. Framing this artistry is a crisp ring of black numerals—strong and evenly spaced—complemented by classic minute markings and a recessed sub-seconds dial. Adding the final touch is a set of gothic-style hands in blued steel, including a matching seconds hand, which sweep across the display with vintage precision and presence.
Powering this watch is a 19-jewel Illinois movement, originally manufactured in 1926. The open caseback offers a clear view of the movement’s smooth, symmetrical bridges and polished screwwork. Look closer and you’ll find a special engraving—"Criterion"—a designation used by the Illinois Watch Company to denote higher-grade movements from a specific retailer. It’s a rare and meaningful nod to the piece’s premium origins.
The watch is housed in a bronzed titanium case with a smooth bronzed bezel and round, gold-plated crown—lending a warm, cohesive finish that beautifully complements the aged dial and gold accents. Paired with a camel-toned American-made leather strap and engraved caseback, this build blends bold design with time-honored materials.
This movement was produced in 1926, the same year the Illinois Watch Company officially introduced the “Whippet” movement—an extra-thin, 12-size mechanism that reflected the brand’s innovative spirit. That year also saw the rapid adoption of the Ford Model T’s replacement, the Model A, as America entered a new era of engineering progress and streamlined design. The Springfield 447 captures the essence of both—the ornate beauty of early 20th-century craftsmanship and the mechanical ingenuity that defined a generation.
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: 2021
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 45mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Bronzed Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Titanium
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4781641
- Manufacture Year: 1926
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 19 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 447 unique:
The Springfield 447 showcases a breathtaking display of craftsmanship, elegance, and American history—brought to life through one of the most ornate dials we’ve handled in recent memory. At the heart of the watch is a bold display of gold-accented engraving, curling into intricate leaf-like scrollwork that radiates outward from the center. The dial’s surface has gracefully aged over time, revealing soft speckling and slight wear that enhances its authenticity and depth. Framing this artistry is a crisp ring of black numerals—strong and evenly spaced—complemented by classic minute markings and a recessed sub-seconds dial. Adding the final touch is a set of gothic-style hands in blued steel, including a matching seconds hand, which sweep across the display with vintage precision and presence.
Powering this watch is a 19-jewel Illinois movement, originally manufactured in 1926. The open caseback offers a clear view of the movement’s smooth, symmetrical bridges and polished screwwork. Look closer and you’ll find a special engraving—"Criterion"—a designation used by the Illinois Watch Company to denote higher-grade movements from a specific retailer. It’s a rare and meaningful nod to the piece’s premium origins.
The watch is housed in a bronzed titanium case with a smooth bronzed bezel and round, gold-plated crown—lending a warm, cohesive finish that beautifully complements the aged dial and gold accents. Paired with a camel-toned American-made leather strap and engraved caseback, this build blends bold design with time-honored materials.
This movement was produced in 1926, the same year the Illinois Watch Company officially introduced the “Whippet” movement—an extra-thin, 12-size mechanism that reflected the brand’s innovative spirit. That year also saw the rapid adoption of the Ford Model T’s replacement, the Model A, as America entered a new era of engineering progress and streamlined design. The Springfield 447 captures the essence of both—the ornate beauty of early 20th-century craftsmanship and the mechanical ingenuity that defined a generation.
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.
