Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 534 unique: Today, we’re pleased to showcase this sumptuous piece initially produced by the Illinois Watch Company nearly a century ago — the Springfield 534. The product’s antique pocket watch features a sophisticated center design pattern and dirty-gold-colored numerals that look breathtaking against its cream-colored background. The front of the watch also features a glimmering subdial and blued steel diamond kite watch hands. We encased this elegant pocket watch within our robust and stylish Sandblasted Titanium case and topped it off with a nickel-plated crown. On the back of the watch, you can view its 405-grade open-face movement with a going barrel and center bridge plate. The rear side of the watch also displays strong and visually-pleasing gold-plated gears and 17 screw-set jewels. Finally, we matched this remarkable watch with our Stout leather watch strap, adding even more style to the final product.The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured the Springfield 534’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1925 — the same year Tom Lee famously rescued 32 passengers from a sinking sternwheel steamboat, M.E. Norman. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operated the M.E. Norman and launched the steamboat in 1924. The boat capsized in the Mississippi River for unknown reasons only a year later. Tom Lee, a river worker, was returning to shore on a motorboat when he noticed the ill-fated steamboat sinking. Although Lee couldn’t swim, he immediately began rescuing passengers from the steamboat by transporting them to shore on his motorboat. He worked tirelessly long through the night to rescue as many of the boat’s occupants as possible. Tragically, 23 crew members and passengers drowned, but far more lives would have been lost if Tom Lee hadn’t taken it upon himself to rescue as many people as possible. Tom Lee passed away from cancer in 1952, but his memory is honored by Tom Lee Park in Memphis, Tennessee, which overlooks the Mississippi River. The park features a memorial plaque describing Lee’s heroic actions, and it features a bronze statue in his likeness.
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: Sandblasted Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Illinois Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4672645
- Manufacture Year: 1925
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured the Springfield 534’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1925 — the same year Tom Lee famously rescued 32 passengers from a sinking sternwheel steamboat, M.E. Norman. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operated the M.E. Norman and launched the steamboat in 1924. The boat capsized in the Mississippi River for unknown reasons only a year later. Tom Lee, a river worker, was returning to shore on a motorboat when he noticed the ill-fated steamboat sinking. Although Lee couldn’t swim, he immediately began rescuing passengers from the steamboat by transporting them to shore on his motorboat. He worked tirelessly long through the night to rescue as many of the boat’s occupants as possible. Tragically, 23 crew members and passengers drowned, but far more lives would have been lost if Tom Lee hadn’t taken it upon himself to rescue as many people as possible. Tom Lee passed away from cancer in 1952, but his memory is honored by Tom Lee Park in Memphis, Tennessee, which overlooks the Mississippi River. The park features a memorial plaque describing Lee’s heroic actions, and it features a bronze statue in his likeness.
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.
