The Chicago 422 is the 422nd 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 422 Unique: When we have the opportunity to work with an antique dial like this one, we see a wide array of wear, tear, and aging. While we’d love to read the book that tells this watch’s story, all we have in front of us is this spectacular dial. What appears to be aging from moisture over the course of many years has subtly changed the surface texture of this dial and given it a fantastic green and brown pattern. We wanted to enhance this characteristic by pairing it with an olive strap. The machined titanium case and nickel-plated hardware perfectly juxtapose the soft earth tones, creating a versatile watch that’s ready to be dressed up or down. On the underside of this Elgin is a flashy movement sure to steal your attention. Powered by a Breguet hairspring and brass balance wheel, this movement features 17 screw-set jewels, gold-plated gears beneath the ¾ bridge place, and a stunning, ornately machined pattern. This watch was originally manufactured in Elgin, Illinois in 1924. In the same year, U.S. Army aircrafts accomplished the first successful round-the-world flight.

1922

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