Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 487 unique: Today, we're happy to showcase this exquisitely luxurious piece originally manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company in 1923 — the Springfield 487. The first detail you'll likely notice about this pocket watch is its stunning gold-colored design in the dial's center. The design looks especially intricate and beautiful against the dial's pristine white background. Additionally, the dial sports stylish and bold numerals. We emphasized the pocket watch's opulent design by pairing it with our PVD Zircon Gold case along with a gold-plated crown. The case's open back reveals a 274-grade open-face movement with a ¾ plate and three adjustable positions. You can also see sumptuous details on the back of the watch, including golden screws, 21 breathtaking jewels, and bronze-plated gears. To top off this gorgeous watch, we equipped it with our comfortable black leather watch strap along with a gold-plated buckle. The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured this in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year that President Warren Harding ordered American troops to return home from Germany. World War I ended in November 1918, but the United States continued occupying the Rhineland with thousands of troops as part of the Treaty of Versailles and the Rhineland agreement. After U.S. troops exited the region, America gave the remaining occupation zone to the French, who withdrew from the Rhineland in 1930.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: 4331159
- Manufacture Year: 1923
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 21 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.
