Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 554 unique: Today, we’re happy to feature this sophisticated piece that was initially produced by the Illinois Watch Company in 1923 — the Springfield 554. This remarkable watch boasts a stunning dial with black hour numerals as well as blood-orange and black minute numerals, all of which look pleasing and clear against the face’s white background. The front of the watch also comes with a helpful subdial and beautiful blued-steel diamond kite watch hands. We encased this exquisite antique within our Machined Titanium case and topped it off with a nickel-plated crown. The glimmering case and crown make this one-of-a-kind watch even more stylish. Our Machined Titanium case comes with an open back, allowing you to peruse its 405-grade open-face movement with a Going barrel, center bridge plate, and a breathtakingly-stylish engraving that reads “The Leader” at its center. This intricate and enthralling movement also boasts 17 stunning jewels and gold-plated gears. Finally, we equipped this fine piece with our comfortable and sleek Stout leather watch strap, making the completed product even more unforgettable.The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured this antique pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year that the first 24 Hours of Le Mans was held in France. This 24-hour sports car race is the oldest endurance racing event that’s still held today, and the race occurs on the Circuit de la Sarthe, which is 8.467 miles long. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport along with the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix. American racers who have won Le Mans include Luigi Chinetti (1949), Phil Hill (1958, 1961, 1962), Carroll Shelby (1959), Masten Gregory and Ed Hugus (1965), A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney (1967), Hurley Haywood (1977, 1983, 1994), Bill and Don Wittington (1979), Al Holbert (1983, 1986, 1987), Price Cobb (1990), and Davy Jones (1996).
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: 4338729
- Manufacture Year: 1923
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured this antique pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year that the first 24 Hours of Le Mans was held in France. This 24-hour sports car race is the oldest endurance racing event that’s still held today, and the race occurs on the Circuit de la Sarthe, which is 8.467 miles long. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is one leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport along with the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix. American racers who have won Le Mans include Luigi Chinetti (1949), Phil Hill (1958, 1961, 1962), Carroll Shelby (1959), Masten Gregory and Ed Hugus (1965), A.J. Foyt and Dan Gurney (1967), Hurley Haywood (1977, 1983, 1994), Bill and Don Wittington (1979), Al Holbert (1983, 1986, 1987), Price Cobb (1990), and Davy Jones (1996).
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.
