Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 447 unique: Today we are excited to present this incredibly special timepiece from the Illinois Watch Company, our Springfield 447. This stunning watch grabs your attention immediately and draws you in to take a closer look at the amazing details of this dial. It always amazes us to find such intricate design work and craftsmanship from these watches that were made almost 100 years ago. The gold colors of the center of the dial sit perfectly inside of our bronzed-titanium case, accented beautifully with our gold-plated crown and hardware. Our stout strap completes the look and we couldn’t be happier with how this one turned out. As we turn the watch over and reveal the movement within, we are yet again blown away by the quality and visual appearance of this watch. The Criterion was another one-off run of the 406-grade watches that Illinois produced at this time, with only 700 watches being made in this particular run of 19 jewel movements. They didn’t hold back at all when completing this run, with gold-plated gears, brass balance wheel, and brass hardware all throughout. The copper inlaid text adds to the precious metal that completes the visual appeal of this beautiful watch. Originally manufactured in Springfield, Illinois in 1926, which is also the same year that the United States numbered highway system was established. US Route 20 is the longest highway in the United States, traversing a total of 3,365 miles from Oregon to Massachusetts. The original highway ended at Yellowstone park and was not intended to go from coast to coast, however, it was extended in 1940.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: Machined Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Gold Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- 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
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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.
