Watch Description
The American mechanism inside this watch is not a replica or an "inspired" piece. It was genuinely carried by an individual, 100 years ago, that depended on it. Each time you wear this watch, you will be transported through time, imagining who this individual was and the work they did to help build our country. Simply put, American Artisan Series watches make you feel something when you put them on. At Vortic, we tell customers that owning a watch isn't nearly as important as owning a story. And, this is an opportunity to be a part of a story that is bigger than yourself. You won't be the first to own this watch, and you certainly won't be the last, so make your chapter count.
The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements. Individuals commonly scrap pocket watch cases for their precious metal, leaving the original mechanism orphaned. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880's - 1950's) pocket watch made by Illinois Watch Company. We call this model "The Springfield" because the company was located in Springfield, Illinois.
What makes the Springfield 448 unique: We decided to bring you something that is as truly unique and spectacular as it is spooky and mysterious. We work with watches that are often well over 100 years old, and you can only imagine the number of different skilled craftsmen as well as hobbyists who may have tinkered and fixed watches all throughout their long life. This watch was originally manufactured in 1921, exactly 100 years ago in Springfield Illinois, by the Illinois Watch Company. In the world of watches, when parts from different grades of watches are combined together it is often referred to as a “Frankenwatch”, inspired by the famous Frankenstein’s Monster. The origins of Halloween trace back to a time when the beginning of the year was celebrated on November 1st and marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter and the cold months, which was also typically synonymous with death. Thus many believed that on the last day of October, as the transitioning of seasons began and harvest came to an end, ghosts of the dead returned to earth for one final day. We celebrate this special watch as the bringing of two dead souls of different watches to come back to life together to create this absolutely stunning and rare piece of horology history. The base of the movement actually began as a 23 jewel 410-grade watch, one of the highest grade watches that Illinois made. At some point in time, the barrel bridge and center bridge were replaced with parts from a 406 grade Illinois, which is why if you look closely you may notice the difference in the damaskeening pattern between the different build plates as well as the raised jewels that are on the smaller finger bridges. At the end of the day, what was created is an absolutely stunning piece of history that boasts 21 jewels and an incredible story.
Case Style:Machined Titanium cases have been CNC milled from a solid block of aerospace grade titanium. Titanium is the ultimate material for strength to weight ratio. A DLC or "Diamond Like Carbon" coating is then applied to the case to create a uniquely black finish. While in the family of PVD coatings, DLC provides a small amount of transparency that allows us to see machine marks and surface detail while still appearing black. This coating is extremely durable and represents the best we have to offer.
Movement: The manually wound, antique, pocket watch movement inside this watch has been meticulously restored to as close to original condition as possible. Vortic has an exclusive group of highly experienced watchmakers that specialize in vintage watches. Before its use in a wristwatch, each movement is completely disassembled, cleaned, oiled, and calibrated. Each finished Vortic watch is tested for at least a week before completion.
This watch's movement is serial number 3823464 from the Illinois Watch Company. 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
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
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Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 46mm
- Height: 12mm
- Lug-to-Lug: 55mm
- Lugs: 22mm
- Case Finish: DLC Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Gold Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Gorilla Glass
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3823464
- Manufacture Year: 1921
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 21j
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 448 unique: We decided to bring you something that is as truly unique and spectacular as it is spooky and mysterious. We work with watches that are often well over 100 years old, and you can only imagine the number of different skilled craftsmen as well as hobbyists who may have tinkered and fixed watches all throughout their long life. This watch was originally manufactured in 1921, exactly 100 years ago in Springfield Illinois, by the Illinois Watch Company. In the world of watches, when parts from different grades of watches are combined together it is often referred to as a “Frankenwatch”, inspired by the famous Frankenstein’s Monster. The origins of Halloween trace back to a time when the beginning of the year was celebrated on November 1st and marked the end of summer and the beginning of winter and the cold months, which was also typically synonymous with death. Thus many believed that on the last day of October, as the transitioning of seasons began and harvest came to an end, ghosts of the dead returned to earth for one final day. We celebrate this special watch as the bringing of two dead souls of different watches to come back to life together to create this absolutely stunning and rare piece of horology history. The base of the movement actually began as a 23 jewel 410-grade watch, one of the highest grade watches that Illinois made. At some point in time, the barrel bridge and center bridge were replaced with parts from a 406 grade Illinois, which is why if you look closely you may notice the difference in the damaskeening pattern between the different build plates as well as the raised jewels that are on the smaller finger bridges. At the end of the day, what was created is an absolutely stunning piece of history that boasts 21 jewels and an incredible story.
Quality Straps
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.
Mission
Our mission is to preserve and enhance the legacy of manufacturing excellence in America. We believe that this legacy is highly relevant in the world of watch manufacturing because our goal is to marry form and function in a way that makes something beautiful that will last forever. American made pocket watches were of such a high quality and decoration that they evolved into more than just a way to tell time. They became traditional heirlooms to be inherited by future generations as a wedding gift or a coming of age treasure. Each piece tells a lively tale of what U.S. manufacturing meant in the past using an intricate language of decorated bridges, plates, gears, and springs. Today, we are restoring these pieces to their former glory and making them relevant again using the best of modern technology.
American Made
We feel proud and blessed to live in the country, state, and city that we do. However, our motivation to build everything in the United States, and to deal locally whenever possible, is derived from a different source of inspiration. We believe that the close relationships, face-to-face interaction, and tight quality control we achieve while dealing domestically produces a truly superior product. Because of this, we are very transparent about where our components are made as we continue to build our in-house capabilities.
