Keeping Time Alive: Springfield, IL’s Sangamon Watch Company on Old Route 66

Stroll down 206 South 6th Street in downtown Springfield, Illinois, and it’s as if time itself gently sets the scene. Lincoln’s old law office stands nearby, and the Old State Capitol rises proudly just a stone’s throw away. This is the heart of Old Route 66 country, where the past is never far behind. Amid the historic red-brick façades, you’ll find a certain building with large windows framed by watch posters- hints of what lies within.

Step inside the Sangamon Watch Company and Repair Service Center, and you enter another world altogether. It’s located right on the first floor, making it an easy stop for travelers, tourists, and locals alike. Inside, a friendly atmosphere awaits: there’s a comfortable sofa and a cozy couch, beckoning you to sit for a while. In this warm, welcoming space, you never feel like just another customer. Instead, it’s as if you’ve stepped into an old friend’s living room, where stories are shared, memories are revisited, and the ticking of time is cherished rather than rushed.

Behind the scenes, a Swiss-trained watchmaker tends to a variety of timepieces - from family heirlooms and antique treasures to modern mechanical and quartz watches. Every tool is at hand, neatly arranged for swift precision. Under the glow of a work lamp, he coaxes life back into delicate movements, restoring their steady rhythms. Watches arrive from all corners of Illinois and beyond - some mailed from across the country - and each finds careful, expert attention here on Old Route 66.

Each year, hundreds of visitors make their way to Sangamon Watch Company and Repair Service Center. Some are Route 66 enthusiasts, traveling the Mother Road in search of history and adventure. Others are tourists who’ve stepped out of the nearby historical sites, curious to see a piece of Springfield that’s as authentic as it is unassuming. Many come to collect the coveted Route 66 stamp for their travel journals. In the process, they learn about the artistry of watchmaking, discovering that it’s not just about telling time - it’s about preserving stories.

Some, enchanted by the timeless aura, leave with a Sangamon watch. These pieces, inspired by local heritage and shaped by American history, become tokens of a journey well taken. The shop’s cozy furnishings make it easy to linger, to chat with the staff, and to learn how every watch that passes through here carries a story in its gears and springs.

When you finally step back out onto South 6th Street, the sidewalk feels different somehow. In your hand, perhaps you carry a newly repaired timepiece ready to start its next chapter, or a new Sangamon watch that marks your connection to this storied place. The ticking of its hands is no longer mundane - it’s a reminder that while the past is behind us, it’s never truly gone. Here on Old Route 66, at the Sangamon Watch Company, time becomes both a memory and a promise, kept alive on your wrist for years to come.