The Rockford 038 is the 38th one-of-a-kind piece in Vortic's "Rockford" 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 Rockford 038 Unique: The Rockford Watch Company was established in 1873 on the Rock River, about 93 miles outside of Chicago. They focused on making very small runs of incredibly high-quality watches. The overall quantity of Rockford watches made is very small compared to other watch manufacturers that we use, which is why we love it when we can showcase these impressive watches. This watch in particular has so much character, partially due to its age (It’s over 110 years old!). When we find watches with wear and tear on the dial, we like to celebrate it, rather than try to work around it. This watch tells stories of being passed through many different hands over the years, making it a perfect conversation piece. We paired the Rockford 038 with a machined titanium case to complement its crisp white dial and then added a crimson strap to accentuate the red, minute indicators around the outside of the numerals. Copper crown and hardware round off the fantastic details of this beautiful timepiece. The 21 jewel movement is a real eye catcher, with the signature machined radial rays going outward from the center, as well as curved bridges holding the second and third escapements. Everything about this watch was meticulously detailed and manufactured, making it one of the most unique and impressive watches of its time. Originally manufactured in Illinois in 1910, this watch was one of only 2,000 total watches made by Rockford that year. Not far away at the same time, the very first air flight containing commercial freight flew from Dayton, Ohio to Columbus, Ohio.
1910
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