eneath the majestic sweep of the Rocky Mountains lies a company steeped in controversy over its connection to the illustrious legacy of Hamilton Watch Company. It is here that R.T. Custer and Tyler Wolfe, two college friends turned entrepreneurs, laid the foundation for Vortic Watch Company in 2013.

R.T. Custer and Tyler Wolfe, two college friends turned entrepreneurs, laid the foundation for Vortic Watch Company in 2013.

William LaMont Photography

Within the confines of their fully outfitted workshop, Vortic breathes new life into the splendid early 20^th-century American pocket watches, transforming them into contemporary wristwatches. The savvy business concept quickly garnered attention, not least from the Swatch Group (owner of the Hamilton brand) and led to a protracted trademark dispute.

R.T. Custer (left) taking guests on a tour of the Vortic manufacturing facility.

Image courtesy of Worn & Wound

It’s a classic tale of the underdog challenging a behemoth and emerging victorious, earning a badge of honour for defiance. Undoubtedly, it was a gruelling journey and a significant distraction. “I wish it never happened,” laments Custer, adding, “but I think I’ll always be the guy that looked Swatch in the eye and said no, you can’t have my business.”

Behind the public legal battle

Rising from the shadows of litigation, Vortic has not only marked its decade-long journey but it has also expanded its portfolio by launching ‘Colorado Watch Company’ – a new venture and a second brand under the Vortic umbrella.

Despite the notoriety garnered from the lawsuit, Custer and Wolfe attribute their success to quality products and faithful customers. “If people didn’t support us and didn’t buy watches from Vortic, then we would not be able to survive in business,” notes Custer.

This is one of the Military Edition wristwatches, crafted from salvaged antique American pocket watches originally manufactured for the United States Army Air Corps during WWII. Vortic tranforms these into a limited edition set, released annually on Veterans Day.

William LaMont Photography

The company positions itself in a niche with minimal competition, describing its watches as amazing one-of-kind pieces of American history. “They are stories in themselves,” he says, “our marketing is done for us when we document what we make and put that on the Internet.”

Contrary to popular belief, sourcing antique pocket watches isn’t their greatest challenge. “Most people don’t know that over 150 million pocket watches were manufactured in America between 1850 and 1950, but mostly in the early 1900s. So, there’s a lot out there,” cites Custer.

“The Achilles heel”, in fact, is the labour required to restore these historical movements, due to a dwindling pool of skilled American watchmakers. “The problem with Vortic is that it’s incredibly hard to do,” he admits. It’s a factor that limits their annual output to 300 pieces, each priced between $3,000 and $15,000.

Tyler Wolfe in action, the other half of the Vortic duo overseeing production.

William LaMont Photography

Looking ahead, scalability is a crucial concern. “Tyler and I are in our early 30s. We have 8,500 square feet of manufacturing space, with millions of dollars of machines and equipment, and watchmakers sitting in the clean room building watches all day every day. I’m really proud of how far we’ve come,” Custer states. “We can make way more than 300 watches a year in theory if we had a more scalable product. And that’s where Colorado Watch Company comes in.”

In expanding industrial capabilities on-site, Vortic’s ambitions are clear. “Instead of trying to scale Vortic and make a thousand pocket watch conversions a year, we’re keeping that the way it is. And the vision for Colorado Watch Company is basically to take on Shinola for the title of the American watch company,” Custer declares.

A new fight on the horizon

With aspirations akin to the celebrated Detroit brand that has created hundreds of local jobs, Vortic aims to become a leading force in mass watch production in America. “We can scale just like they did, we can compete with them but in a healthy way,” he reasons. “The industry has plenty of room for all of us.”

The ultimate quest extends beyond assembly to the manufacture of watches on American soil, progressively scaling production to thousands, if not tens of thousands. Central to this mission is achieving a delicate balance between price and quality in the pursuit of predominantly US-made watches.

Yet, confronted with economic realities, the company recognises the high costs associated with local manufacturing are on par with Switzerland and significantly higher than in China. “At this point, there’s no way we can compete with the prices of overseas products,” Custer concedes, yet remains resolute in their mission.

In a bid to explore the possibilities within the domestic system, Colorado Watch Company has joined forces with Fine Timepiece Solutions (FTS) in Arizona, serving as its sole partner to produce watches in America retailing for around a thousand dollars.

Vortic presented this new mission and value proposition to the Kickstarter community last autumn. In less than a month, it secured support from nearly 300 backers and surpassed its funding goal. By the end of 2023, the company had also closed an investment round of strategic financing.

In-house produced components for the Colorado Watch Company’s new models.

William LaMont Photography

The debut models – a military-themed watch and a field watch – boast modern constructions and in-house fabricated parts such as cases, dials and crowns, alongside FTS’s proprietary calibre Americhron. This mechanical movement is assembled in the US using global parts and IP from FTS’s technical partner (a publicly listed watch company in India).

The company highlights that despite the watches being ‘American built’ – constituting 87% of the cost – they fall short of qualifying for the ‘USA Made’ label due to unrealistic guidelines. This is a widespread problem for watchmakers stateside, contending with rigid definitions associated with the label and the lack of clear manufacturing standards.

Pushing for a legislative review

Armed with a court victory that spanned much of Custer’s adult life, aided by a fighting spirit, Vortic is eyeing another legal challenge, this time with the Federal Trade Commission. Its desire to push for a legislative review within the watch industry transcends mere vanity; it’s about advocating for what truly reflects the capabilities and aspirations of American watchmakers.

Bracing for such a Herculean task, Vortic is eager to model Colorado Watch Company as a compelling case for domestic production. “To engage the federal government about changing the law, you need to be a shining example of what’s possible to be made in America and how you’re supposed to do it,” explains Custer.

The Americhron movement is entirely assembled and tested in the USA.

William LaMont Photography

To that end, Vortic’s current mantra is “putting its best foot forward and doing everything right”. The overarching goal is to achieve a scale that would materially lower production costs through operational efficiencies. In the long run, this approach may also unlock the potential to offer private label services, particularly tailored to short-run, high-end watches.

“That’s really our dream,” remarks Custer, with evident enthusiasm, “especially for Tyler, who loves making and designing new things. We can always create parts for ourselves, but it’d be really cool to help some other brands just make more things right here in the USA.”

Assorted vintage pocket watch dials prepared for upcycling.

Image courtesy of Worn & Wound

Should anyone require a closer examination, Custer extends an invitation: “Our doors are open.” He underscores that their Fort Collins facility is among the few locations in America where one can tour a complete watchmaking process. “Come to Colorado instead of Switzerland if you want to see how a watch is made from start to finish [...] especially for the American market.”

A watchmaker’s corner in the clean room.

Image courtesy of Worn & Wound

Fuelling a resurgence in domestic production, making it not only viable but also competitive on a global scale, necessitates the collective effort of the industry. “We need all the other American watch companies to either want to scale or want to help. And when we band together, we can do anything. It’s just a matter of time and a matter of focused energy,” asserts Custer.

“It’s never about America versus Switzerland,’ he adds. “It’s about asking, ‘If we can do it here, why shouldn’t we at least try?’ And that’s the American spirit.” In upholding Vortic’s mission to revitalise American watch manufacturing, Custer affirms, “That’s really what I want to dedicate the rest of my working life to. If it can be made here, it should. Let’s try what’s possible.”