Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 449 unique: We are happy to present this beautiful watch from the Illinois Watch Company, our Springfield 449. We love the vintage feel of this watch, with the dial showing its age to remind us of the different paths and stories that may have carried throughout the years. The dark blued-steel hands stand out nicely in contrast to the soft feel of the dial, bringing out the different earth tones that carry throughout. The nickel-plated crown grabs your attention, while the dark color of this gunmetal case ties everything together in a cohesive manner. As we turn the watch over to reveal the inner workings of the movement, we are immediately drawn to the James A Garfield insignia in the center of the bridge plate. Garfield was the 20th president of the United States of America from March to September of 1881, only serving four months before an unfortunate assassination. Illinois used this insignia on their 306, 427, and this 425-grade movement, with this particular model being part of a short run of 8,200. The intricate patterns that have been carefully machined throughout the different build plates show the craftsmanship of the time and bring a wonderful visual appeal to this beautiful movement. Adorned by 17 screw-set jewels as well as rose-gold gears beneath that peak through the different layers of moving parts. This watch was originally produced by the Illinois Watch Company in Springfield, Illinois in 1923. In February, the very first live broadcast of an ice hockey game took place in Toronto, Canada. The game was called by Norman Albert and was an intermediate playoff game for the Ontario Hockey League.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: 4303495
- 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.
