Meet the Journeyman — a modern watch by Vortic our Founder R.T. Custer envisioned creating all the way back in 2016. It's a project we attempted before the pandemic, set aside when we couldn’t complete it, and brought back to life this fall as a tribute to his original vision.
For years, this project has sat waiting for the right moment, the right skills, and the right reason to finish it. This year gave us that reason.
During R.T.’s recovery from the life-altering stroke he suffered in June, we chose to return to this long-held idea, knowing it would not be easy, but that it would be deeply meaningful.
Reviving the Journeyman became a way to honor the vision that helped shape Vortic in the first place...and a creative project for R.T. to dive into as he recovered from his stroke this fall.
This may be the only edition we ever release, which makes this First Edition something rare: a modern Vortic watch brought to life with more heart, intention, and perseverance than anything we’ve ever made.
Movement Details:
Years before the pandemic, R.T. and then-business partner Tyler traveled to Switzerland to source a modern movement that could be transformed to reflect early American design. Each ETA 6497-2 was modified and decorated by a master Swiss watchmaker using traditional finishing techniques chosen specifically to echo the antique movements we’ve restored for years.
Every movement is engraved “First Edition” and only 100 exist. Of those, only 50 have been transformed into watches for this special Late 2025 Journeyman release.
After sitting in our vault for so many years, the movements needed to be restored, cleaned, oiled, and adjusted before use. Over the last few months, our in-house master watchmaker Alex has meticulously serviced each movement back to as-new standards.
They are beautiful, functional, and ready to keep time on your wrist for years to come. Case Details:
To house this modern movement, our in-house engineering team spent months designing, prototyping, and machining an entirely new case architecture — slimmer, lighter, and distinct from the thicker, larger silhouettes of our Artisan Series pocket-watch conversions. This case introduces a traditional 3 o’clock crown, marking a new chapter in Vortic design while still carrying our recognizable machining quality.
The 43 mm diameter is ideal for a variety of wrist sizes, and at only 9.5 mm in thickness, it's our thinnest creation thus far.
Every case, caseback, bezel, and crown was machined and finished by our engineering team here in our shop in Colorado.Dial Details:
One of the driving challenges of the original Journeyman attempt was creating a crisp white dial similar to the antique pocket watch dials we all love so much. Early prototypes attempted in-house never met our standards, and the concept was shelved in part because we couldn’t master this single component.
Reviving the project this year meant revisiting this challenge with the help of a manufacturing partner that specializes in precision finishes on metals. We reached out to our friends at Mayfly Outdoors, known for their exceptional craftsmanship making fly fishing reels and accessories in their Colorado shop a few hours away, and asked if they'd help us bring the white dial to life. After months of collaboration and prototyping, the result is the clean, understated white dial that defines the First Edition — a small but significant symbol of the perseverance behind this release.
Other Technical Details:
The watch is triple signed — the crown, dial, and movement each carry the Vortic Stars & Stripes logo, unifying the entire watch with a single iconic mark.
The movement is also engraved with the Journeyman logo.
The second hand has a zero-reset complication, meaning when you pull the crown to the setting position, the second hand sweeps around back to zero and stops. This happens so that when you set your minute, it’s exactly at zero seconds.
The angled caseback is titanium rather than steel.
The watch comes with a hand-tanned 20mm black strap.
The Journeyman First Edition represents the completion of something R.T. and Tyler imagined years ago — a beautiful watch with a unique movement that has stretched our capabilities, pushed our craft forward, and carries meaning far beyond its technical details.
Whether or not we make additional editions in the future, these first 50 pieces stand as a tribute to the Founder that inspired them, and to the team that finally brought his vision to life.
This is your opportunity to own a modern Vortic watch.
The Journeyman will begin shipping in late December. We cannot guarantee arrival prior to Christmas
