Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 488 unique: Today, we’re excited to showcase this exceptional piece initially produced by the Illinois Watch Company in 1920 — the Springfield 488. Originally manufactured in Springfield, this watch features an immaculate, white background along with classically-styled black numerals. The hueless background and numerals emphasize its stunning and unique navy hour and minute hands. We matched the dial’s style with our robust and pristine Diamond-like coating (DLC) case along with a nickel-plated crown. The case’s dark shade and shining crown pair perfectly with the dial’s straightforward and sophisticated design. We continued emphasizing the watch’s elegance by equipping the piece with our Cordovan Black leather watch strap, adding both comfort and beauty. On the back of the watch, you can see the timepiece’s complex and breathtaking inner workings, including rose-gold plated gears and 17 remarkable jewels. The watch has an open-face movement configuration with a nickel finish and pendant setting, and it also sports a center bridge plate. The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured the pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1920 — the same year that Prohibition went into effect in the United States. The ban on alcohol began on January 17, 1920, with the Eighteenth Amendment, and it persisted until December 1933, when the Twenty-first Amendment repealed the anti-alcohol amendment. The Twenty-first Amendment is the only U.S. amendment in history that repealed a previously instituted amendment.Movement Manufacturer Information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: DLC Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3713559
- Manufacture Year: 1920
- 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.
