Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 519 unique: Today we are pleased to present to you this incredible watch from the Illinois Watch Company, our very own Springfield 519. One thing that really draws us to these antique pieces is the classic styling, with dark bold numerals on the crisp white enamel dial. These rustic gothic style hands drawn in your attention, as they reach out and turn across the small minute indicators that surround the outside of the face. We placed this gorgeous watch inside our machined titanium case, and capped it off with our gold-plated crown and hardware, as well as a classic black leather strap. As we turn this watch over to reveal the stunning movement inside, we are immediately drawn to the unique shape of the different bridge plates that we have come to love from Illinois. The small finger bridges that spin off and hold the third and fourth escapement wheels in place give a wonderful visual sense of movement next to the constantly spinning balance wheel. Rose-gold plated gears beneath will pull you in for a closer look, as everything slowly moves beneath the bridge plates. Subtle machined designs throughout as well as nickel-plated hardware bring some additional flash to this watch and really cap off the craftsmanship that went into building this watch exactly 100 years ago.
This watch was built in Springfield, Illinois by the Illinois Watch Company in 1922, the same year that the very first issue of Reader's Digest magazine was published. Originally created by DeWitt Wallace and his wife Lila who started the magazine in New York. The first publication contained only 1,500 copies, but soon grew to be one of the best-selling magazines in America.
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: 4156185
- Manufacture Year: 1922
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 519 unique: Today we are pleased to present to you this incredible watch from the Illinois Watch Company, our very own Springfield 519. One thing that really draws us to these antique pieces is the classic styling, with dark bold numerals on the crisp white enamel dial. These rustic gothic style hands drawn in your attention, as they reach out and turn across the small minute indicators that surround the outside of the face. We placed this gorgeous watch inside our machined titanium case, and capped it off with our gold-plated crown and hardware, as well as a classic black leather strap. As we turn this watch over to reveal the stunning movement inside, we are immediately drawn to the unique shape of the different bridge plates that we have come to love from Illinois. The small finger bridges that spin off and hold the third and fourth escapement wheels in place give a wonderful visual sense of movement next to the constantly spinning balance wheel. Rose-gold plated gears beneath will pull you in for a closer look, as everything slowly moves beneath the bridge plates. Subtle machined designs throughout as well as nickel-plated hardware bring some additional flash to this watch and really cap off the craftsmanship that went into building this watch exactly 100 years ago.
This watch was built in Springfield, Illinois by the Illinois Watch Company in 1922, the same year that the very first issue of Reader's Digest magazine was published. Originally created by DeWitt Wallace and his wife Lila who started the magazine in New York. The first publication contained only 1,500 copies, but soon grew to be one of the best-selling magazines in America.
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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.
