DIALED IN Horological News
SWATCH GROUP SUES VORTIC
The Swatch Group has sued Colorado-based
Vortic Watches in U.S. Federal Court for both
trademark infringement and counterfeiting.
Hamilton is suing Vortic because the latter has
been restoring scrapped Hamilton pocket watch
movements and dials and setting them into
newly fashioned wristwatch cases.
Vortic calls its practice “upcycling.”
Sometimes called “creative reuse,” upcycling
aims to take waste products and refashion them
into useful things. Typically claiming a positive
environmental impact, examples of upcycling
include everything from refashioning old Coke-
a-Cola bottles into lamps to re-purposing
food waste as bio-fuels. Vortic sees its use of
Hamilton (and other brands’) movements and
dials as a noble and fair pursuit, perhaps even
one that honors and promotes those brands.
In addition to multiple disclaimers on Vortic’s
website stating that the watches are produced
by Vortic, the finished watches do not resemble
Hamilton products, past or present. “In fact
our products don’t compete with modern day
Hamilton watches,” says R.T. Custer, co-founder
of Vortic. “We make a niche product marketed
at a different price point to a different
consumer. If anything we are helping to shed
light on the prestigious history of Hamilton
pocket watches.”
Hamilton, on the other hand, sees Vortic’s
use of Hamilton movements and dials as an
obvious infringement on their intellectual
property. Lawyers on both sides will cite
multiple precedents simultaneously, and judges
often withhold decisive perspectives until
announcing their ruling. IW will keep readers
informed as this case unfolds.
20 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SPRING 2019
BULOVA IN THE BRONX
Bulova has teamed with Grandmaster Caz and Grandmaster Melle
Mel’s Windows of Hip Hop to support the hip-hop program and music
studio construction in a Bronx elementary school. The music studio will
be the first-ever in a New York public school. Bulova will be highlighted
during the classes and also provide clocks to be integrated into the new
music studio. Windows of Hip Hop is a non-profit, Bronx-based economic
development project promoting the educational, communal, and
historical perspective of Hip Hop.