What makes the Springfield 536 unique: Today, we’re excited to showcase this wearable piece of history initially produced by the Illinois Watch Company almost a century ago — the Springfield 536. This stunning, antique piece features a gold-colored dial with stylish black numerals and a useful subdial. You can also view the watch’s breathtaking blued steel diamond kite hands, which glimmer brilliantly against the dial’s golden colors. We emphasized the dial’s sumptuous design by encasing it within our Machined Titanium case and equipped it with a gleaming gold-plated crown. Our Machined Titanium case boasts a transparent back, enabling you to view the pocket watch’s original 274-grade open-face movement that sports a nickel finish and pendant setting. The movement’s conspicuous engraving reading “Santa Fe Special” refers to the Santa Fe Railroad line. This remarkable pocket watch also features gold-plated gears as well as 21 jewels throughout its ¾ plate. Finally, we made this watch wearable by matching it with our Olive leather watch strap, making this one-of-a-kind antique piece even more distinct and attractive.

The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured the Springfield 536’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year Clarence Birdseye invented the contemporary method for freezing food. Humans have likely used the freezing method of preserving food for thousands of years, but Clarence Birdseye created the modern frozen food industry through his particular preservation method. Birdseye froze food by using refrigerant-filled hollow metal plates that could maintain a cooled temperature of between -21 to -50 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, Birdseye would fill cartons full of food and place the cartons between metal plates. With this innovative preservation method, Birdseye created the first frozen food company: Birds Eye.