Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 530 unique: Today, we are thrilled to showcase this brilliant watch, initially created by the Illinois Watch Company in 1929 — the Springfield 530. This piece is in pristine condition, encased by machined titanium and a beautiful tan leather strap. On the watch face, you’ll see beautifully curved numbers and a cobalt hand against a stark white background. On the center of the face, the private label is artfully inscribed: “Santa Fe Special.” This watch was named after the Santa Fe Railroad and is the little brother 12-size version of the Railroad Grade 16 size watch that was one of the highest quality watches that Illinois made. This watch is pendent set, so technically wouldn't be considered Railroad Grade, however, it is the closest thing to it in the 12-size. Moving to the back of the watch, you can peer through the clear display case and see the delicate gears and machined bridge plate, working together to make this piece shine. With 279-grade movement, this watch boasts 21 jewels and a beautiful golden inscription on the bridge plate, reminding the wearer that this watch is a “Santa Fe Special.”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: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 5261253
- Manufacture Year: 1929
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 21 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.
