Is Vortic a “real” watch company?

Waldan is similar, as is the resurrected Welsbro. When it comes to types of watch companies, my house has many mansions.

I dunno. I have a hard time thinking of a Hamilton or Waltham watch as anything other than that…just because it was placed into a Vortic case, it’s now a Vortic? Despite the fact that everything else says it’s not? I struggle with that concept.

They make watches using some pre-existing parts, but they make watches, nonetheless.

The finished product is cool, just not my jam.

I completely understand not embracing this business model. I have no interest in that at all. Waldan bought a huge lot of excess Zenith movements and it has kept them in business for 40 years. There is a company whose name escapes me who found boxes of cases in a Hong Kong warehouse and sources some other parts and is now a microbrand.

And as to badges, why them when Benrus, Sekonda, Slava, Eterna and many other more important and popular brands don't have one?

Finally, their business model brings up a sad fact. When those "We Buy Gold" stores started popping up everywhere during the last economic downturn many gold watch cases were recycled for their precious metal content. Consequently, there is a huge glut of old watch movements out there. There are more vintage movements than vintage watches. What should be done with them? There are only so many parts movements needed.

Understood, and I have precisely no issues whatsoever with the recycling and reuse of old pieces that still have plenty of life left in them. But I don’t think that taking a Hamilton 992B movement and an enamel dial and hands and merely casing it into a new case suddenly turns it from a Hamilton into a new and different watch. Vortic seems to be more of a re-casement company. That’s why I don’t consider Vortic to be a “real” watch company and why I posed the question.

Maybe the one person who has bought one can come on here and give them a full throated defense. I am not that guy. They seem very niche.

(Look how far along we are in getting that badge.)

Honestly, they cost too much. Why would anyone pour high 4 to 5 digits into a 100 year old non-shock protected movement for a wristwatch?

Also, would you believe that this is the one and only Vortic thread on all of WC?

It's like when they were choosing the first badges they had just read a Hodinkee article or something. Back then Zenith and Zodiac didn't rate a badge.

If we keep up this back and forth we will get the stupid badge while displaying a general antipathy to the brand.

Your shock protection point is well taken. For all of the vintage that I own, I don't own any watch made before 1934 (Incabloc).

I only know they exist because they were sued by... one of the Swatch companies, possibly Swiss Hamilton who claimed to be mad that this Vortic recasement company was selling American Hamilton mpocket watches as goofball wristwatches for hipster douchebags.

I was very upset that only one side could lose.

I don't own a Vortic but I sure do think they are cool. I heard the owner being interviewed about his company. It was a very compelling story. He is a guy who likes pocket watches and thinks it's a shame so many cool and good quality pieces are relegated to junk drawers. They just aren't popular any more. I believe his idea started with the idea to take a family heirloom pocket watch and service the movement and put it in a modern wristwatch case so it could be worn as an every day piece. Have you checked out the G.C.T ? badass IMHO.

They find unloved quality pocket watches, service and recase them. Giving them new life. I'd love to see one in person.

It's not that I don't support what they're doing, or think that it's cool. Many of the watches that they re-case, are, as a matter of fact, incredible.

What I take issue with is the classification of Vortic as a "watch company". They're not one, IMHO -- they're a company which just re-cases the produces of other watch companies into a different form factor. They have no products of their own outside of the cases that they use.

Watch business maybe?

Watch adjacent, lol!

I own a Vortic; mine is a Waltham Vanguard Railroad. Its a stunning piece. I've also held/tried on a few other examples, including their most recent Military Edition. Each has its own character and story to tell.

I've met the owner of Vortic in person and had occasion to speak with a few of his employees. All quality folks with a shared passion.

Are they a "watch company"? Yes.

When someone asks me about my "watch", I gladly tell them its a Waltham Railroad pocketwatch from 1918 restored and converted for wrist by Vortic Watch Co. FWIW, while chatting, showing, and telling, nobody has ever asked "yeah but is Vortic a REAL watch company though?" Just doesn't happen 🙄

PS: That lawsuit mentioned earlier, that they won, is legitimately a landmark case; it has far greater implications than Vortic's survival, and broader scope than "watches". It sets precedent that protects any upcycling or repurposing business across any industry.

As I noted above -- it's not that I disagree with what Vortic is doing or think that it's in anyway uncool. To the contrary, I think it's very interesting, and I have no doubt whatsoever that the folks working for Vortic are, as you put it, "quality folks" who are interested in putting out a great product.

What I take issue with is the description of Vortic as a watch company. At best, I think that they're a watch recycling company, or a watch casing company, but they're certainly not a watchmaker in the same way as companies from the likes of Patek, VC, AL&S, JLC, to Rolex and Omega to Seiko, Citizen, Seagull, and Invicta. Even MVMT and Daniel Wellington qualify as watch companies, if only barely (😬 There's something I never thought I'd write). But I don't think that Vortic does when all it does is produce cases to place other manufacturer's watches into.

When someone asks me about my "watch", I gladly tell them its a Waltham Railroad pocketwatch from 1918 restored and converted for wrist by Vortic Watch Co.

As you say, your watch is a Waltham Railroad Watch. It just happens to have been placed into a Vortic case for use on your wrist. But it's not a Vortic watch -- it's still a Waltham watch. By way of analogy, if you buy a Shelby bodykit for your Ford Mustang is it no longer a Ford? Of course it's still a Ford, just one fitted with a Shelby bodykit. Similarly, an Alpina B7 is still a BMW 7 series, just a modified one.

FWIW, while chatting, showing, and telling, nobody has ever asked "yeah but is Vortic a REAL watch company though?" Just doesn't happen 🙄

Well, respectfully, it has happened now, because I asked the question.

I understand your opinion. I don't agree with it.

Cheers!

Fair enough! We agree to disagree. Now, if only the folks in charge of our government could learn to do this, the world would be a better place.

True that! 🍻

Are these not marriage watches? Are we legitimising this?

That’s exactly what they are, and exactly why I maintain that Vortic is NOT a real watch company…they’re a watch casing company.

I still don't know what a marriage watch is. Whence does this term come?

A marriage watch is a timepiece that has 'married' an older object. Basically it is a pocket watch converted into a wristwatch, combining an original movement with other original parts and/or non-original parts.