Latest Review
October 7, 2024 
There are very few states in the US where you can try award-winning coffee shops and breweries, go on a world-class hike, mounting bike a reservoir, and visit a watch manufacturer all in the same day. Colorado is one of those states—maybe the only one. Colorado Watch Company has been created by the folks behind Vortic Watch Company to take full advantage of this unique offering.
Colorado is a state that’s synonymous with the rugged terrain of the Rockies. It’s a state where breweries are seemingly as commonplace as bakeries, where music is heard among red rocks, and where cities sit a mile high. It’s an outdoor enthusiast’s dreamscape, where thrills are measured in vertical feet descended. It’s also now a state where you can add a visit to a functioning watch manufacturer to your itinerary.
The town of Fort Collins, Colorado is situated just under 65 miles from Denver, the most populous city in the state. That’s a pretty ideal position—close enough to enjoy the big city, far enough away to avoid it. But if you’re visiting the state, it’s within an ideal striking distance from much of the state’s primary attractions. A day in Fort Collins is easy to fill. It has that perfect balance of stylish and delectable eateries that are in an ideal proximity to ample outdoor adventures.
The first stop on our Fort Collins agenda for the day is at Ginger and Baker to snag a some breakfast bites and fuel up with some finely-ground goodness. Built into an old grain mill, they filled the space “with handcrafted goods that honor and celebrate all that’s wonderful about Colorado quality, heart, and a dang good sense of humor.” These characteristics will become a reoccurring theme throughout our day of exploration.
Once fueled, we turn our sights onto the road less travelled. It’s true that you don’t need an SUV to make your way around the state, but to get to those off-the-beaten-path opportunities, power flowing to all four wheels certainly doesn’t hurt. The Jeep Gladiator is definitively American icon that blends the best of both worlds—classic, off-roading vibe and useful truck-like capacity. It’s this them of versatility that we’ll see return to our tale as well.
The Jeep easily crawls its way to our outdoor destination, just 16 miles from town. Horsetooth Reservoir is known for its accessible, yet lengthy trails perfect for both hiking and biking. Bright blue skies become almost indistinguishable from its deep blue waters. Scrambling up its craggy shores provides vistas for which the state is famous. They don’t call them the Rockies for nothing.
A properly sorted field watch is built exactly for this type of day, activity, weather, and terrain. Colorado Watch Company is precisely attuned to this fact. Based in Fort Collins, they’re hellbent on preserving America’s watchmaking history by building timepieces that, just like the coffeeshop in town, celebrate all that’s wonderful about Colorado—quality.
With a quick glance at the white-dialed Colorado Watch Company’s Field Watch on-wrist, the first thing you notice is how prominently it sits with its robust, raw steel case. The second thing that’s immediately also noticeable is the crisp white detail with an enamel-like finish along with its easy-to-read stick handset—which together are telling us it’s time to move to a new destination on the itinerary. Next up, a visit to the factory itself.
Situated right in the downtown area of Fort Collins, Colorado is one of the United States’ few watchmaking factories in existence. Carrying on a tradition that was once a mainstay of the American manufacturing legacy. This site houses the manufacturing capabilities of both the Vortic Watch Company and now the Colorado Watch Company as well. Visits to the building are welcomed and encouraged. You can easily schedule a visit right from the companies’ website.
A typical tour and visit takes about an hour, and in that time you’ll get a chance to meet the team behind the watches such as co founders R.T. Custer and Tyler Wolfe. They show you around the different departments within the building, such as the expansive machine room. Here, complex CNC machines cut cases to spec from solid blocks of steel, running nearly around the clock. But it’s not just cases, this team is making dials here, as well as smaller components like crowns, crown tubes, and even pin buckles for straps.
The Colorado Watch Company watches use automatic movements assembled in Arizona by Fine Timepiece Solutions, a firm that offers final assembly and quality assurance services to watch brands at a large scale. It’s important to note that the components of the FTS movements are sourced internationally, while assembly occurs in Fountain Hills, AZ. They’ve sourced other components for these watches from American vendors as well, including sapphire crystals, which are made in New Hampshire. All this results in watches where 87% percent of the total cost of the watch originates in the United States with 48% of the cost coming from Colorado, 23% from Arizona, and 16% from other states.
The mainstay of the Colorado Watch Company offerings is the brand’s take on a classic. The Field Watch, discussed earlier, is a 40mm design, with a case in raw steel or coated in black DLC. On the dial, the simple Colorado Watch Company logo, outlined with a red rectangle, is prominently and proudly displayed near the 12:00 position. Versatility is the name of the game with the Field Watch. It’s that daily all-arounder that you can confidently wear regardless of the activity at hand.
The other current offering is called the GCT Watch, which is a little larger at 42mm, and is something of an homage to a Military Edition that sister company Vortic has been building since 2019. These have a distinctive “GCT” 24 hour dial. For the Colorado Watch Company’s take on the GCT, we still get the 12:00 crown that’s essential for Vortic’s pocket watch conversion, but the dial now works on a 12 hour scale. The four signature exposed screws on the dial are functional, connecting the thick metal dial to the movement below it.
The highlight of the tour is most certainly the clean room. Here you’ll see the watchmakers doing their thing. It’s a treasure trove of American watch history kept in large, nondescript cabinets. Dials and movements, too many to count, can be found just about everywhere. The company purchases as many old movements as they can–even if they can’t be fully-salvaged, as they likely contain many parts that can be used as spares. Between Vortic’s restoration efforts and the Colorado Watch Company’s new watch manufacturing efforts, this factory tour is an ideal stop for any enthusiast’s visit to the state.
Nothing wraps up an adventurous day in Colorado like stop at a local brew pub. In Fort Collins, you’ve got a few options at hand. New Belgium Brewing Company is certainly a popular destination. However, Fort Collins Brewery, where the Odell Brewing Co. calls home, is more of a local’s spot. Known for its beautiful patio and striking mountain views, this brewhouse is a great place to kick back and reminisce about the day’s escapades. There you can also try the “Classic Flight”—a full tasting of some of their most classic Colorado brews including: Lagerado, Easy Street, 90 Shilling, Drumroll Hazy, and last but not least, Sippin’ Pretty.
So as you being to plan your next adventure, consider the Great State of Colorado. It’s a place where the outdoors meets enthusiasm, where craftsmanship meets quality. And it’s now a place where the kind of watches are built that exemplify these characteristics in a package that you can take with you as a memento and keepsake… forever representing your full Colorado experience.
