Watch Description
The American mechanism inside this watch is not a replica or an "inspired" piece. It was genuinely carried by an individual, 100 years ago, that depended on it. Each time you wear this watch, you will be transported through time, imagining who this individual was and the work they did to help build our country. Simply put, American Artisan Series watches make you feel something when you put them on. At Vortic, we tell customers that owning a watch isn't nearly as important as owning a story. And, this is an opportunity to be a part of a story that is bigger than yourself. You won't be the first to own this watch, and you certainly won't be the last, so make your chapter count.
The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements. Individuals commonly scrap pocket watch cases for their precious metal, leaving the original mechanism orphaned. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880's - 1950's) pocket watch made by Illinois Watch Company. We call this model "The Springfield" because the company was located in Springfield, Illinois.
What makes the Springfield 496 unique: Today, we’re thrilled to present this antique, one-of-a-kind watch originally manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company — the Springfield 496. The timepiece features a rustic dial with bold Roman numerals and stunning blue hour and minute hands. Our Machined Titanium case and nickel-plated crown draw further attention to the watch face’s historical qualities, and the American-machined case also provides the original pocket watch with robust protection. The back of the watch boasts a 405-grade open-face movement, and it features a center bridge plate with a stylized engraving that reads “The Garland.” The timepiece also features bronze-plated gears powered by 17 jewels. To top it all off, we matched the watch with our Moss leather watch strap, emphasizing the clock’s antique style. The Illinois Watch Company initially produced the Springfield 496’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1924 — the same year that the Macy’s Herald Square held the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The historic parade began with Macy’s employees marching to the department store on 34th street along with floats, living animals, and live music. The inaugural Thanksgiving Day celebration drew in an audience of over 250,000 people, which led Macy’s to establish the parade as an annual event.
Case Style:This case has been CNC milled from a solid block of aerospace grade titanium. The case is intentionally left unpolished so the intricate tool marks made during the milling process remain visible. Titanium is the ultimate material for strength to weight ratio. Titanium has a darker look than steel, and due to its low thermal conductivity, feels warm to the touch. These characteristics create an enduring, highly wearable, distinctive piece.
Movement: The manually wound, antique, pocket watch movement inside this watch has been meticulously restored to as close to original condition as possible. Vortic has an exclusive group of highly experienced watchmakers that specialize in vintage watches. Before its use in a wristwatch, each movement is completely disassembled, cleaned, oiled, and calibrated. Each finished Vortic watch is tested for at least a week before completion.
This watch's movement is serial number 4493759 from the Illinois Watch Company. 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
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Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 46mm
- Height: 12mm
- Lug-to-Lug: 55mm
- Lugs: 22mm
- Case Finish: Machined Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Gorilla Glass
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4493759
- Manufacture Year: 1924
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17j
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 496 unique: Today, we’re thrilled to present this antique, one-of-a-kind watch originally manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company — the Springfield 496. The timepiece features a rustic dial with bold Roman numerals and stunning blue hour and minute hands. Our Machined Titanium case and nickel-plated crown draw further attention to the watch face’s historical qualities, and the American-machined case also provides the original pocket watch with robust protection. The back of the watch boasts a 405-grade open-face movement, and it features a center bridge plate with a stylized engraving that reads “The Garland.” The timepiece also features bronze-plated gears powered by 17 jewels. To top it all off, we matched the watch with our Moss leather watch strap, emphasizing the clock’s antique style. The Illinois Watch Company initially produced the Springfield 496’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1924 — the same year that the Macy’s Herald Square held the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. The historic parade began with Macy’s employees marching to the department store on 34th street along with floats, living animals, and live music. The inaugural Thanksgiving Day celebration drew in an audience of over 250,000 people, which led Macy’s to establish the parade as an annual event.
Quality Straps
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.
Mission
Our mission is to preserve and enhance the legacy of manufacturing excellence in America. We believe that this legacy is highly relevant in the world of watch manufacturing because our goal is to marry form and function in a way that makes something beautiful that will last forever. American made pocket watches were of such a high quality and decoration that they evolved into more than just a way to tell time. They became traditional heirlooms to be inherited by future generations as a wedding gift or a coming of age treasure. Each piece tells a lively tale of what U.S. manufacturing meant in the past using an intricate language of decorated bridges, plates, gears, and springs. Today, we are restoring these pieces to their former glory and making them relevant again using the best of modern technology.
American Made
We feel proud and blessed to live in the country, state, and city that we do. However, our motivation to build everything in the United States, and to deal locally whenever possible, is derived from a different source of inspiration. We believe that the close relationships, face-to-face interaction, and tight quality control we achieve while dealing domestically produces a truly superior product. Because of this, we are very transparent about where our components are made as we continue to build our in-house capabilities.
