Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 517 unique: Today, we’re thrilled to showcase this breathtaking antique watch initially produced by the Illinois Watch Company — the Springfield 517. The watch boasts a highly sophisticated dial with thin, stylish black numerals and a gleaming subdial. The front of the watch also features blue-tinted diamond kite hands that display pleasingly against its grayish-cream background. We paired the original pocket watch with our eye-catching and scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case as well as a matching nickel-plated crown, drawing further attention to the piece’s unique dial. On the back of the watch, you can view the timepiece’s 405-grade open-face movement with a nickel finish and pendant setting. The movement also features stunning bronze-plated gears powered by 17 luxurious jewels throughout its center bridge plate. Finally, we matched this one-of-a-kind piece with our comfortable, artisan-designed coal leather watch strap, complementing the watch’s elegant style.The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured the Springfield 517’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1927 — the same year the musical Show Boat premiered on Broadway. Show Boat was based on a novel with the same name about the performers and workers on a Mississippi River show boat. The musical was an important landmark in the history of musical theater because it broke away from the format and style that dominated Broadway in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Broadway musicals at that time were light and unrealistic, while Show Boat introduced a more serious tone, laying the groundwork for future productions.
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: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4861691
- Manufacture Year: 1927
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured the Springfield 517’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1927 — the same year the musical Show Boat premiered on Broadway. Show Boat was based on a novel with the same name about the performers and workers on a Mississippi River show boat. The musical was an important landmark in the history of musical theater because it broke away from the format and style that dominated Broadway in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Broadway musicals at that time were light and unrealistic, while Show Boat introduced a more serious tone, laying the groundwork for future productions.
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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.
