Watch Description
What makes the Springfield 581 unique:
Introducing the Springfield 581, a stunning wristwatch conversion featuring a 1926 Illinois Watch Company pocket watch. The 23-jewel movement within this timepiece, originally referred to as a part of “The Lifetime Series”, rotates striking blue hands around a luxurious hand-engraved dial. We’ve accented this distinguished piece with our gilded titanium case, knurled nickel crown, and classic black leather strap. This truly is a majestic release from Vortic’s American Artisan Series.
This watch is part of a special release because this movement takes the term “rare” to an entirely new level. Not only is it marked “The Lifetime Series,” something we’ve not seen before, but it was also already one of the rarest 12size movements the Illinois Watch Company produced as it’s marked “adjusted to 6 positions” which was a quality assurance measure typically only seen on the high-end Railroad Grade mechanisms. It also features 23 jewels, which by itself is something not typically seen in these smaller pocket watches. Our watchmakers ran out of ways to explain why this one is so special, and they’ve seen it all!
Movement Manufacturer Information
The movement inside of this watch was made by Waltham Watch Company. We call this model "The Boston" because of the company's proximity to the city.
Also known as American Watch Company and American Waltham Watch Company, Waltham was one of the leaders in attempting an entirely new concept, machines making machines. Prior to this, a watchmaker would hand-make each part of a movement one-at-a-time. Operating from 1851-1957, Waltham called its product the "Scientific Watch." Waltham's innovative, precise machining techniques made parts interchangeable, and their early version of the assembly line made high-quality watches efficient to produce. Legend has it that Henry Ford drew inspiration for his assembly line production from a visit to Waltham's factory. Located on the bank of the Charles River in "Watch City" (Waltham), Massachusetts, the factory has since been converted to apartment lofts.
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
- Model Year: 2023
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 47mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Bronzed Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Waltham Watch Company
- Serial Number: 4759519
- Manufacture Year: 1926
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 23 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Springfield 581 unique:
Introducing the Springfield 581, a stunning wristwatch conversion featuring a 1926 Illinois Watch Company pocket watch. The 23-jewel movement within this timepiece, originally referred to as a part of “The Lifetime Series”, rotates striking blue hands around a luxurious hand-engraved dial. We’ve accented this distinguished piece with our gilded titanium case, knurled nickel crown, and classic black leather strap. This truly is a majestic release from Vortic’s American Artisan Series.
This watch is part of a special release because this movement takes the term “rare” to an entirely new level. Not only is it marked “The Lifetime Series,” something we’ve not seen before, but it was also already one of the rarest 12size movements the Illinois Watch Company produced as it’s marked “adjusted to 6 positions” which was a quality assurance measure typically only seen on the high-end Railroad Grade mechanisms. It also features 23 jewels, which by itself is something not typically seen in these smaller pocket watches. Our watchmakers ran out of ways to explain why this one is so special, and they’ve seen it all!
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.
