Sangamon Watch Company recently received emails along with a photo from a Florida customer, the lovely communications really encourages our team to worker harder and smarter to introduce more history themed series and collections. We appreciate the feedback and love to share it with you, read below:
Hope this email finds you well. Just a quick note to share my fantastic Sangamon experience with you. I was looking for a special-and unique-watch for my husband. He is a commercial airline pilot, but I did not want your typical pilot watch. I was looking for something manly and rugged but also meaningful. Turns out your Route 66 watch was exactly what I was looking for in a pilot watch. Let me explain:
Mother Road dial may have been shaped like a car wheel hub, but what I saw was a plane propeller. The bracelet brown leather strap designed to look rally-style with 3 holes and an oversized buckle reminded me of rivets on airplane wings. To me, the bronze color evoked the vintage flair of sepia brown; the one inspired by the earth-colored tones of aviator suits from the early part of the 1900s. But most importantly, Mother Road is a high quality watch with luxury standard components that are made to last. My husband loves it!
After successfully launching this collection, I encourage you to ponder the idea of creating a “Spirit of Aviation” collection. I would imagine the models named after aviation legends: Orville, Wilbur, Lindbergh (who was an air mail pilot serving the St.Louis-Chicago route), and of course, Amelia.
In my opinion, it would be a great fit to your Spirit Series. A representation of independence, determination and a confident attitude….I’d be happy to test drive it 🙂 Thanks for creating such an unique watch!
Dear Brian, Thanks for your email. I find your research process interesting and fascinating. All your hard work shows. Sangamon Watches and Mother Road success is the final result of hard work ,learning, studying and most of all love of what you are doing.
Congratulations on the release of your new series!. It’s inspiring to know that you have chosen to spotlight the character of the heroes among us (9/11, healthcare workers), and pioneers (Clara and the Wright brothers), during these uncertain times. A certain reminder of strength and hope. I am eagerly awaiting for the release of your new collections! I will definitely keep in touch with Sangamon Watches on social media and through your mailing list. Wishing you continued success! I’ll be your witness in this journey.
Regards,
AB, MS CCC SLP, Regional Clinical Manager, Florida
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Cheer up, the pandemic will not stop us from having fun! Do you want to receive a mystery box for your Christmas?
Win one of the mystery boxes which may include watches, straps, gift cards, t-shirts, watch rolls and more from Sangmaon Watch Company in Springfield Illinois! Deadline to enter is December 4th. Prizes will be sent out immediately (worldwide shipping).
One mystery box will be sent to a lucky Sangamon Dock member. No Signup is required for Sangamon Dock members (owners of our watches).
The following watch review is contributed by Aron Dunlap-OFD Watch Channel. If you want to learn more about Mother Road Collection watches or order your own, please log on http://www.SangamonWatches.com
Attracting over a thousand patrons a day, Old Crow Smokehouse is the go-to spot in Wrigleyville for great country music, craft beer, and delicious food. With an emphasis on Southern-style BBQ and the aesthetic to match, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported from Chicago to Memphis or Kansas City.
This country sports bar and restaurant is a popular destination for young professionals and boasts killer happy hour specials and a spacious rooftop space. During baseball season, Old Crow’s serves thousands of customers as Cubs fans pour in by the dozen to get their fix of BBQ and hot wings.
Old Crow Smokehouse opened its first two locations in Chicago in 2013 before expanding to Huntington Beach in 2016 and Orange County in 2017, now putting them at a total of four locations, all with fantastic reviews.
Owned and operated by a friend of mine, Old Crow’s Asian-American influences shine through with menu items like the potstickers and Korean Kalbi short ribs. You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu, but my personal favorites are the BBQ ribs, hot wings, and Chinese potstickers. For a great night out with friends, don’t forget the drinks. What pairs better with BBQ and live music than locally-brewed beer and tequila shots?
With social distancing guidelines in place, Old Crow Smokehouse is now operating under normal capacity. I was able to enjoy a fantastic outing with some friends visiting from Puerto Rico over the weekend and want to thank Bing, Old Crow’s manager and a buddy of mine, for coming out to see us. We all had a great time and my friends and I learned that Bing loves Puerto Rico, so much so that he spent over three months there once!
With raving reviews about the lively aesthetic, friendly service, and amazing food at Old Crow Smokehouse, it’s a must-see Chicago staple. Don’t just take my word for it, make sure to check it out for yourself the next time you find yourself in the area for an evening you won’t forget.
(Note:) Need a FREE review and social media publicity for your local restaurant or bars? Contact: brian@SangamonWatches.com and we will come out to try your food and take photos! Follow us on Instagram: SangamonWatches
The Time Bum, an independent watch review website, recently did a great preview article about The Mother Road Collection of Sangamon Watches. The preview starts “the Sangamon Watch Company of Springfield, Illinois has launched its third model, once more drawing inspiration from classic Americana. The Mother Road Collection pays tribute to US Route 66 with design cues that should be instantly recognizable to any automobile enthusiast.”
When Brian Su inherited the Swiss-made Roamer watch from his father, the one he had owned since his 20s, it kindled a passion in Brian for mechanical watches. His 83-year-old father was a mechanical engineer for his entire life, this mechanical watch was his most prized possession. Brian knew the weight of the piece he wore, and before long, Brian’s love for craftsmanship and history made him acquire over 60 watches during his two years’ journey overseas. Together with his friend, Tyler McKay, who also loved historical pieces, they began their hunt for authentic watches. This set the foundation for Sangamon Watches.
“One day, Tyler and I were talking about a watch I bought in Israel,” Brian said, “then our coworker, Mark Bennett, told us that Springfield, Illinois had once been home to one of the finest watchmakers in the United States – the Illinois Watch Company.”
“On investigation, we found that the former watch company had operated for 61 years, building nearly six million watches at its peak with a technology used by railroads across the world”. Motivated by this local history, Tyler McKay and Brian Su decided to build their own watch company to build on the legacy of Illinois watchmaking. Their brand, Sangamon Watch Company, was founded to retrace the footsteps of the old Illinois Watch Company. They named it after the Sangamon River because Brian and Tyler had always been inspired by the life of America’s most iconic President, Abraham Lincoln.
“What sets us apart,” said Tyler McKay, “is that every collection we design and produce recreates the memories of an event or person in America’s great history.” Their first series was appropriately titled “New Beginnings,” with only 500 “Lincoln’s River Collection” watches, follows the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln during his youthful years in Central Illinois. Brian literally followed the footsteps of Lincoln to find inspiration for their pieces by walking on the Lincoln trails and the river in the past few years.
According to Tyler McKay, “Sangamon’s New Beginnings are potential collectibles that can be worn every day. The engraved backside of these watches illustrates the moment in1831 when young Lincoln navigated down the Sangamon River, eventually getting his flatboat stuck on a mill dam at New Salem. Lincoln showed ingenuity and leadership skills in maneuvering around the dam, impressing many of the locals, gathered around to watch.”
Their second product release is also sensationally inspired. The new series is titled “Freedom,” it follows the heartfelt battle for liberty at the Omaha Beach in France, which was one of the bloodiest battles of the 20th Century. Engraved on the back of the watch is a courageous American soldier storming the Omaha Beach, and all 24 stars represented roughly 2400 American casualties at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944.
“The quality and design of the Sangamon Watch Company’s products make a worthysuccessor to the old Illinois Watch Company,” said McKay. “We are headquartered right here in Springfield, but we have a global team and are firmly dedicated to quality over quantity. We work with trusted professional manufacturers, and our small product series yields precision and reliability”.
Their journey together did not begin overnight. “I came to America in the late 1980s right after Tiananmen massacre occurred in Beijing,” Brian Su explained, “but was drawn to the stories about Abraham Lincoln, his courageous life and honesty, so I moved here to Springfield and have been here ever since.” Brian Su studied as a graduate student at Sangamon State University now the University of Illinois at Springfield (UIS), and has spent the last three decades working and traveling around the world. Still, his heart and home remain here in Springfield.
Tyler McKay is a proud father of two lovely kids and a six-generation farmer from a small farming village in Central Illinois. His midwestern values, while raising livestock during his growing years, ignited his desire for entrepreneurship. Together, he and Brian did some international business consulting for the last 10 years. Now, they established the Sangamon Watch Company, which happened while McKay was pursuing his MBA program at the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana (UIUC). While their brand new startup venture has faced a rocky road, especially during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it is efficiently weathering the storm. Already one year old, the Sangamon Watch Company is celebrating its anniversary with a third product series titled “Spirit.” Spirt Series’s first collection Mother Road is inspired by the iconic and historic Route 66, one of the famous roads in the world connecting Chicago to Los Angeles. “Iconic Route 66 is also fondly called Mother Road,” McKay explained, “It is a symbol of the classic Americana, in search of a greater adventure.” The Spirit Series Mother Road Collection is a limited edition of only 310 watches and available for pre-order in late July 2020. “The engraved backside of the watch” McKay continues “highlights the famous Route 66 road sign in front of a checkered flag”.
Brian Su and Tyler McKay are very particular about the stories they narrate in every stunning product. Their brand Sangamon Watches is an exceptional example of the global movement called “microbrands.” Their unique flair for sharing America’s rich history upon classic creations of stunning wrist watches is phenomenal. With their uniquely designed watches, they don’t just tell fascinating stories but help Americans retrace and showcase their pride in history.
