A Contrarian Vortic

THE CLEVELAND RAILROAD 004 -

Courtesy of Vortic

From Vortic.

So this one speaks to me.  A Vortic that swims against the stream and is re-imagined twice! The concept behind Vortic is one that I think anyone can grasp without too much difficulty - under appreciated (not necessarily unloved) pocket watches, dials, movements and hands brought back to life as wrist watches that can be worn more "regularly" as we don't tend to wear vests with pockets.

I am the proud owner of a custom Vortic myself, so I absolutely get and appreciate the concept. But as pretty much anyone who knows me just a little bit will inform you, I am also a contrarian by nature.  My high school's population was crazy about Prince, I preferred Bob Dylan. While most pen fans worship Mont Blanc, I find myself decidedly in the Pelikan camp -

And as a Northern Youth growing up near Cleveland, I found myself more of a fan of Jack Brohamer -

than I was of Buddy Bell -

Needless to say, I am a forever fan of Frank Robinson -

The 1970s are well and truly in the rearview, but for those of us who grew up south of Lake Erie, those wild red jerseys still speak to us ; )

Okay, let's get back to watches. This was (by all appearances) a one-off put out by Vortic that I believe (unless I was misinformed) an exclusive news item for another outlet at its release.

It is based on a Ball pocket watch circa 1948. For those unaware the Ball Watch company started life as a strange convergence of events.  Webb C. Ball was actually a jeweler. And it might have stayed that way.  But following the horrific collision between two trains that never should have been in the same place at the same time in Kipton, Ohio (a little better than 5 miles from where I grew up), Mr. Ball was tasked to fix this problem. As a result, he helped establish standards for time keeping requirements for watch accuracy and performance that were adopted by not only the railways, but the watch brands wishing to make watches for use by engineers.  The Ball Watch company (which grew out of his jewelry business) itself was perhaps more akin to Auguste Reymond in Switzerland, acting as more of an assembler/reseller. Nothing wrong with that, by the way.  

Now as I have said, I am contrarian by nature, and this one not only speaks, it SINGS to me. 

Courtesy of Vortic

This one is really special. And in many ways, it is the "Ballest" Ball watch out there - the original movement refinished, adjusted and refined and put in an even more impressive case.  It is slightly steampunk in look and feel, and while I realize it might not be everyone's baby, I would be thrilled to have this time machine in my pocket.

My understanding is that this one has come and gone, but you never know what the Vortic team might pull out of their sleeves in the future.

Here are the pertinents -

WATCH SPECIFICATIONS

• Manufacturer: Vortic Watch Company
• Model Year: 2020
• Warranty: Full 2-Year Warranty
• Case Dimensions: 
  • Diameter: 46mm
  • Height: 12mm
  • Lug-to-Lug: 55mm
  • Lugs: 22mm
• Case Finish: Machined Titanium
• Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
• Water Resistance: 1 ATM
• Crystals: Gorilla Glass
• Case Back: Stainless Steel
• Hands: Original
• Strap: Leather

MOVEMENT

• Original Manufacturer: Ball Watch Company
• Original Serial Number: 1b11273
• Manufacture Year: 1948
• Function: Manual Wind, Lever-Set
• Jewels: 21j
• Size: 12s
• Power Reserve: ~36 Hours

The Trainmaster Standard Time

From Ball -

Courtesy of Ball

The case is 39.5 mm and of stainless steel.  Sapphire crystal top and rear display crystal.  The hands boast 14 micro gas tubes (hour and minute) as well as the dial.  The crown is a screw-down to help ensure water resistance which is warranted to 30 meters or 100 feet.

Okay, those are the numbers, but let's talk about the warm n' fuzzy stuff.  The watch is simply wonderful to look at.  The dial is white enamel, the numbers reminiscent of the era when Webb C. Ball took up the challenge to try and avoid another disaster like the one that occurred in Kipton, Ohio.  Think about that for a moment or two - lives lost due to a slow moving watch.  As many of you may (and in fairness may not), I am from Oberlin, Ohio a little over 5 miles away, and have been to the site of the accident a few times on field trips.  So this one tugs a little on the nostalgic side of me.  And instead of Olympic or NBA timing, this is inspired by a watch that actually saved lives.

A What If Fonderie 47 Update!

And I think it is actually sort of poetic!  Fonderie 47 has pledged to participate in this year's Tempus Fugit Initiative!  That's right, the company based on the principles of doing good by working to remove assault weapons from the hands of boy soldiers and turn "swords into plowshares", and joined our growing band of brothers and sisters!  Oh, and they just happen to be the winner of last year's Writing Wrongs Award.

Once again, an updated head-count coming tomorrow.

Hublot, Tissot, Rolex, Patek Philippe, Oris, Movado, Ball - and the rest of you - what are you waiting for?  If BaselWorld booths and gift bags are anything to go by, I think you can afford a few hundred dollars, maybe even a thousand ; )

And for those of you who might have missed it -

What if?

Dear watch companies,

What if?

What if each one of you could take even $5,000 from your annual budgets and donate it to a common cause?  What if the mighty SWATCH, Richemont, LVMH, ROLEX, Sowind, Audemars Piguet, Patek Phillipe, Ulysse Nardin… what if you all came together with a reasonable contribution with the sole goal of trying to fix an "unfixable" problem?

What if 100 watch companies in the world each contributed $5,000 - $1,000 - hell, even $100 to fund rangers to protect elephants and rhinos from poachers?  What if based on that, we could then go to people with even more money?  What if your KINDNESS and willingness to do something that was totally selfless then triggered people like Phil Knight of Nike, or Oprah Winfrey, or Bill Gates - I mean, let's aim high here!  What if that all got so much money - and so much attention, that it would be better financially for a father to become a ranger, rather than to become a poacher?  

And what if that action, created a groundswell in China and Vietnam to help people understand that maybe, just maybe the preservation of a species is more valuable than a dubious aphrodisiac?

So, let's name some names - Biver, Hayek, Hoffmann, Sofisti (THANK YOU!), Stern, Marini, Raffi, Stas and all the rest of you -

Are you really interested in doing something great - or is it just talk and PR?  

What am I asking for?  Participation!  $5,000 if you have it - for some of you big brands, that is WAY less than you spend on a month of advertising.  And as the saying goes, if you can't afford $5,000, give what you can!  $1,000 - $500 - even $100 would be something.

Do you really want to make a mark in the world and not just talk about it?  Here is a chance to do it!

Who is in?