The Chicago 426 is the 426th one-of-a-kind piece in Vortic's "Chicago" line of the American Artisan Series. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880’s – 1950’s) pocket watch. The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements.

What makes the Chicago 426 Unique: Did you know that the Elgin National Watch Company produced over 55 million watches between 1864 and 1968? You’d think that with so many Elgins in existence, that finding new and exciting dials and movements would be a difficult task. This unique timepiece is just one of many that we’re happy to breathe new life into, and yet, there are still so many more! This particular dial features a star design, nicely aged numerals, and a font we rarely see. We paired it with our gunmetal titanium case to accent the numerals. Aged, gothic-style hands pair well with the rustic motif of the dial while the gold-plated crown and olive strap add a touch of modernity. The movement has been intricately machined by a rose engine lathe to produce the incredible pattern across the steel build plate. 17 screw-set jewels power its gold-plated gears. This fantastic movement, which is powered by a Moseley regulator and a Breguet hairspring, was originally manufactured by the Elgin National Watch company in 1925, in Elgin, Illinois. In October of this same year, the Pittsburgh Pirates won their second world series title, defeating the Washington Senators.

1925

28066695