Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 531 unique: Today, we’re so happy to show you this remarkable piece that features an antique pocket watch that the Illinois Watch Company manufactured in 1920 — the Springfield 531. This breathtaking piece of history displays a cream-colored dial with blue-steeled gothic watch hands. The watch’s front also presents stylish black numerals and a matching subdial. We love the wear of this dial and the subtle dark aging that has occurred over the years to add to its character and age. We paired this magnificent pocket watch with our Machined Titanium case and topped it off with a solid copper crown. In addition to style, our Machined Titanium case also features a clear back, enabling watch enthusiasts to view the pocket watch’s original 405-grade open-face movement. You can also see the timepiece’s sumptuous gold-inlaid engraving that appropriately reads “The Autocrat.” Additionally, the watch’s back boasts rose gold-plated gears and 17 stunning jewels within its center bridge plate. Finally, we made this piece even more special by equipping it with our comfortable, one-of-a-kind Natural leather watch strap.The Illinois Watch Company initially produced the pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1920 — the same year Carrie Chapman Catt and Emma Smith DeVoe founded the League of Women Voters (LWV) during the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) convention in Chicago. Although the league was originally created specifically for women, the organization’s main goal is now to offer a nonpartisan organization that educates everyone in the democratic process and encourages them to vote. DeVoe suggested the idea for the LWV in 1909, eleven years before the Nineteenth Amendment was certified, allowing women to vote. She then formed the National Council of Women Voters in 1911. Catt served as the first president of NAWSA after its founder, Susan B. Anthony, retired in 1900. Through DeVoe and Catt’s negotiations, NAWSA and the National Council of Women Voters merged to become the League of Women Voters months before the federal government certified the Nineteenth Amendment.
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: Copper
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 3759628
- Manufacture Year: 1920
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Illinois Watch Company initially produced the pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1920 — the same year Carrie Chapman Catt and Emma Smith DeVoe founded the League of Women Voters (LWV) during the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) convention in Chicago. Although the league was originally created specifically for women, the organization’s main goal is now to offer a nonpartisan organization that educates everyone in the democratic process and encourages them to vote. DeVoe suggested the idea for the LWV in 1909, eleven years before the Nineteenth Amendment was certified, allowing women to vote. She then formed the National Council of Women Voters in 1911. Catt served as the first president of NAWSA after its founder, Susan B. Anthony, retired in 1900. Through DeVoe and Catt’s negotiations, NAWSA and the National Council of Women Voters merged to become the League of Women Voters months before the federal government certified the Nineteenth Amendment.
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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.
