What makes the Springfield 538 unique: Today, we’re delighted to feature this distinct watch initially produced by the Illinois Watch Company over a century ago — the Springfield 538. This splendid piece boasts stylized gold-colored numerals along with matching diamond kite hands. The front of the watch also features a breathtaking coat of arms and a subdial with blue numerals and a gold-plated hand. We encased this eye-catching pocket watch within our powerful Blued Titanium case, emphasizing the dial’s golden details, and we topped it off with a sumptuous-looking gold-plated crown. Our Blued Titanium case features an open back, enabling you to view the antique pocket watch’s impressive Autocrat-grade open-face movement with a gilt inlay color, radial finish pattern, and nickel finish. The back of the watch also showcases a fitting engraving that reads “The Autocrat” as well as gold-plated gears and 17 screw-set jewels. Finally, we added even more sophistication to this watch by equipping it with our hand-crafted Merlot leather watch strap, matching the coat of arms’ sash.

The Illinois Watch Company originally manufactured the Springfield 538’s pocket watch in Springfield, Illinois, in 1923 — the same year the Riegelmann Boardwalk opened in Coney Island. Before the construction of the Riegelmann Boardwalk, Coney Island’s beachfront was mostly inaccessible to the public. Most of the land was privately owned by wealthy developers who constructed seaside resorts and expensive restaurants. In the early 20th century, economists and public associations began championing the construction of the boardwalk to make the area more accessible as well as stimulate the local economy. Once built, the boardwalk was named after Edward J. Riegelmann, the president of the Brooklyn borough, who was heavily involved in the boardwalk’s development. Although the official name remains, Rigelmann actually rejected having the boardwalk be named after him. Instead, he preferred calling it simply the “Coney Island Boardwalk.”