Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 494 unique: Today, we’re thrilled to showcase this breathtaking piece originally produced by the Illinois Watch Company nearly a century ago — the Springfield 494. The Springfield sports a classically-styled dial, including a spotted, cream-colored background and dark, elegant numerals. The dial also features a unique subdial surrounded by a sophisticated design. We encased this stunning pocket watch inside our robust and scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case, and we added a luxurious-looking gold-plated crown. The case and crown emphasize the watch’s dial and make the complete piece even more remarkable. The back of the watch features gorgeous bronze-colored engravings that reinforce its historical production, including the “Illinois Watch Co. Springfield” and the “Stanley” trade name. The piece also sports a 406-grade open-face movement with gold-plated gears powered by 19 opulent jewels. To tie the piece together, we paired the pocket watch with our one-of-a-kind Natural leather watch strap, which further adds to the watch’s antique style. The Illinois Watch Company initially manufactured the pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1926 — the same year that country and blues musician DeFord Bailey became the first African-American to perform on The Grand Ole Opry radio show in Nashville. DeFord Bailey was known for playing the harmonica and was even called the “harmonica wizard.” His music career spanned two decades, and although he isn’t a household name, his musical influence left a significant impact on the Nashville music industry. In 2005, he was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.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.
Legal Disclaimer: All product and company names, logos, brands, and other trademarks featured or referred to within Vortic's products and services are the property of their respective intellectual property rights holders, if any. Those intellectual property rights holders, other than Vortic, LLC, are not affiliated with Vortic, LLC, our products, or our website. They do not sponsor or endorse our materials.
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: 4712593
- Manufacture Year: 1926
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 19 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.
