Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 527 unique: Today, we have an incredible piece of timekeeping history to share with you that was initially manufactured by the Illinois Watch Company in 1925 — the Springfield 527. The elegant face of this striking watch features an intricate gold inlay accompanied by eye-catching golden numerals. In addition to the elegant inlay, this unique piece also features glimmering, golden diamond-kite-shaped hands on both the main display and subdial. We have paired this stunning antique movement with our robust machined titanium case to let the antique beauty of this piece shine. As you turn the watch over, you can view the elaborate inner workings of this timepiece’s movement through our case’s proprietary clear back. The autocrat-grade movement of this watch features a breathtaking machined bridge plate and gorgeous gold and bronze plated gears that draw one’s attention to the intricacies of this piece. The movement of this watch also features a dazzling gilded inscription that reads, “The Autocrat.” To complement the watch’s luxurious gold tones, we have paired the movement with our comfortable olive leather strap.When this watch was originally produced in Elgin, Illinois, in 1925, the first run of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, was published. Many believed that Fitzgerald’s tale of raucous jazz-age parties and tragedy did not live up to Fitzgerald’s earlier works after its release. Still, the novel gained massive popularity during WWII when the Council on Books in Wartime distributed the book for free. Director Baz Luhrman reimagined The Great Gatsby in the 2013 movie by the same name, and the film featured Leonardo Di Caprio in the leading role of Gatsby.
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: 4586812
- Manufacture Year: 1925
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
When this watch was originally produced in Elgin, Illinois, in 1925, the first run of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, was published. Many believed that Fitzgerald’s tale of raucous jazz-age parties and tragedy did not live up to Fitzgerald’s earlier works after its release. Still, the novel gained massive popularity during WWII when the Council on Books in Wartime distributed the book for free. Director Baz Luhrman reimagined The Great Gatsby in the 2013 movie by the same name, and the film featured Leonardo Di Caprio in the leading role of Gatsby.
Let customers speak for us
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.
