Watch Description
What Makes The Springfield 471 Unique:
The Springfield 471 wears its age with a quiet confidence. The dial is a warm, parchment-cream tone with scattered freckles of patina that remind you this piece has already lived a full century of life. Raised gold numerals sit proudly against that aged surface, catching the light at the edges and giving the layout a subtle Art Deco lift. We kept the original diamond-shaped hands in a matching gold tone, and the recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock adds depth with its fine track and clean, balanced geometry.
Inside, this watch is powered by a 21-jewel Illinois movement manufactured in 1926. Through the open caseback, the bridges show a distinctive, flowing damaskeening pattern—wide arcs that ripple across the surface as you tilt the watch. Gold-plated gears and polished steel components bring contrast and clarity to the composition, and the overall finishing feels purpose-built: precise, architectural, and unmistakably American in character.
This piece is built into our Version 2 machined titanium case. We left the machine marks on it as our signature. The bezel and bright, reflective surfaces frame the dial cleanly without overpowering it, letting the patina and raised numerals do the storytelling. We paired it with a deep, dark leather strap with light stitching for a crisp contrast that keeps the whole watch feeling grounded and wearable.
In 1926, the U.S. highway system took a defining step forward with the establishment of Route 66—an American artery that helped reshape travel, trade, and the movement of people across the country. It’s a fitting connection for a watch like this: built in the same era when precision timekeeping and modern infrastructure were both becoming essential to everyday life.
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
- Model Year: 2022
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 47mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Machined Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Titanium
- Strap: 22mm Ebony Leather Strap
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4740074
- Manufacture Year: 1926
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 21 Jewels
- Hands: Original Gold-Plated
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What Makes The Springfield 471 Unique:
The Springfield 471 wears its age with a quiet confidence. The dial is a warm, parchment-cream tone with scattered freckles of patina that remind you this piece has already lived a full century of life. Raised gold numerals sit proudly against that aged surface, catching the light at the edges and giving the layout a subtle Art Deco lift. We kept the original diamond-shaped hands in a matching gold tone, and the recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock adds depth with its fine track and clean, balanced geometry.
Inside, this watch is powered by a 21-jewel Illinois movement manufactured in 1926. Through the open caseback, the bridges show a distinctive, flowing damaskeening pattern—wide arcs that ripple across the surface as you tilt the watch. Gold-plated gears and polished steel components bring contrast and clarity to the composition, and the overall finishing feels purpose-built: precise, architectural, and unmistakably American in character.
This piece is built into our Version 2 machined titanium case. We left the machine marks on it as our signature. The bezel and bright, reflective surfaces frame the dial cleanly without overpowering it, letting the patina and raised numerals do the storytelling. We paired it with a deep, dark leather strap with light stitching for a crisp contrast that keeps the whole watch feeling grounded and wearable.
In 1926, the U.S. highway system took a defining step forward with the establishment of Route 66—an American artery that helped reshape travel, trade, and the movement of people across the country. It’s a fitting connection for a watch like this: built in the same era when precision timekeeping and modern infrastructure were both becoming essential to everyday life.
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.
