Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 470 unique: Today, we are proud to present this remarkable piece from the Illinois Watch Company — the Springfield 470. Originally manufactured in 1923 by the Illinois Watch Company, the Springfield 470 features a smooth watch face design, stylish type numbers, and a clear display case that reveals the intricate stainless steel gears with bronze details. The ivory dial complements the ebony hands spectacularly, and our Machined Titanium case preserves the history of this exquisite piece with its incredibly durable and scratch-resistant coating. Powered by 23 ruby and sapphire jewels, this 410-grade timepiece is a masterpiece. Lastly, our Cordovan Black leather strap brings the whole piece together. This watch was originally produced in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year that Jack Dempsey beat Tommy Gibbons over 15 hard-fought rounds in Shelby, Montana, to retain the world heavyweight boxing title. Tommy Gibbons took Jack Dempsey to all 15 rounds, and Dempsey won by decision.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: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4209571
- Manufacture Year: 1923
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 23 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.
