Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 549 unique: We’re pleased to present to you this remarkable wristwatch originally created by the Illinois Watch Company nearly a century ago — the Springfield 549. This stunning watch features a sleek dial with black numerals that reside handsomely atop its spotless, white background. The front of this unforgettable watch also displays a helpful subdial and blued steel gothic watch hands. We encased the pocket watch within our robust Sandblasted Titanium case and topped it off with a nickel-plated crown, adding even more style to this straightforward yet elegant piece of history. The rear side of the watch boasts a 405-grade open-face movement with a Going barrel, pendant setting, and nickel finish. You can also see the pocket watch’s powerful gold-plated gears and 17 jewels throughout its center bridge plate. Finally, we complemented the watch with our breathtaking and comfortable Cordovan Black leather watch strap, tying together the watch’s graceful style.The Illinois Watch Company initially released this pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year that President Warren G. Harding passed away from a heart attack while in office. Harding made history by becoming the first sitting senator (R-OH) to be elected president, but his reputation after his death was primarily tarnished due to various scandals, including corruption allegations and charges against his appointed cabinet members and infidelity. One such affair was with his Nan Britton, who birthed Harding’s illegitimate daughter, Elizabeth, two years before he took office.
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: 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: 4266453
- Manufacture Year: 1923
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Illinois Watch Company initially released this pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year that President Warren G. Harding passed away from a heart attack while in office. Harding made history by becoming the first sitting senator (R-OH) to be elected president, but his reputation after his death was primarily tarnished due to various scandals, including corruption allegations and charges against his appointed cabinet members and infidelity. One such affair was with his Nan Britton, who birthed Harding’s illegitimate daughter, Elizabeth, two years before he took office.
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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.
