Watch Description
The Boston 398 is the 398th one-of-a-kind piece in Vortic's "Boston" line of the American Artisan Series. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880’s – 1950’s) pocket watch. The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements.
What makes the Boston 398 Unique: This Boston, like the Boston 399 we shared last week, features a stylized design that reflects the shape of its original case. This beauty was housed in a six-sided gold case, as opposed to the round cases that we are so used to working with. We love the dial’s gold numerals and wanted to accent them with a gold-plated crown and hardware. The exquisite design throughout the rest of the dial is a perfect example of the craftsmanship we’ve come to appreciate from this era of watchmaking. The dark blue, spade hands, stout strap, and sandblasted titanium case help subtly complement the design without distracting from its gorgeous details. This Boston’s movement, which features 17 screw-set jewels, a brass balance wheel, and ¾ bridge, also boasts a highly ornate motif. Its damaskeened build plate creates a stunning visual texture that balances the rose gold and gold-plated gears. This movement was originally manufactured in 1915 in Waltham, Massachusetts. In the same year, the US congress designated over 415 square miles of land in Colorado as Rocky Mountain National Park. The park is home to 77 tall peaks and the country’s highest, continuous, paved street: Trail Ridge Rd.
1915
20382571
Movement Manufacturer Information
The movement inside of this watch was made by Waltham Watch Company. We call this model "The Boston" because of the company's proximity to the city.
Also known as American Watch Company and American Waltham Watch Company, Waltham was one of the leaders in attempting an entirely new concept, machines making machines. Prior to this, a watchmaker would hand-make each part of a movement one-at-a-time. Operating from 1851-1957, Waltham called its product the "Scientific Watch." Waltham's innovative, precise machining techniques made parts interchangeable, and their early version of the assembly line made high-quality watches efficient to produce. Legend has it that Henry Ford drew inspiration for his assembly line production from a visit to Waltham's factory. Located on the bank of the Charles River in "Watch City" (Waltham), Massachusetts, the factory has since been converted to apartment lofts.
Legal Disclaimer: All product and company names, logos, brands, and other trademarks featured or referred to within Vortic's products and services are the property of their respective intellectual property rights holders, if any. Those intellectual property rights holders, other than Vortic, LLC, are not affiliated with Vortic, LLC, our products, or our website. They do not sponsor or endorse our materials.
Watch Specifications
- Manufacturer: Vortic Watch Company
- Model Year: 2021
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 47mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Machined Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Gold Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Waltham Watch Company
- Serial Number:
- Manufacture Year:
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The Boston 398 is the 398th one-of-a-kind piece in Vortic's "Boston" line of the American Artisan Series. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880’s – 1950’s) pocket watch. The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements.
What makes the Boston 398 Unique: This Boston, like the Boston 399 we shared last week, features a stylized design that reflects the shape of its original case. This beauty was housed in a six-sided gold case, as opposed to the round cases that we are so used to working with. We love the dial’s gold numerals and wanted to accent them with a gold-plated crown and hardware. The exquisite design throughout the rest of the dial is a perfect example of the craftsmanship we’ve come to appreciate from this era of watchmaking. The dark blue, spade hands, stout strap, and sandblasted titanium case help subtly complement the design without distracting from its gorgeous details. This Boston’s movement, which features 17 screw-set jewels, a brass balance wheel, and ¾ bridge, also boasts a highly ornate motif. Its damaskeened build plate creates a stunning visual texture that balances the rose gold and gold-plated gears. This movement was originally manufactured in 1915 in Waltham, Massachusetts. In the same year, the US congress designated over 415 square miles of land in Colorado as Rocky Mountain National Park. The park is home to 77 tall peaks and the country’s highest, continuous, paved street: Trail Ridge Rd.
1915
20382571
Let customers speak for us
The Movement
The engine that powers this watch is an antique American pocket watch movement. All the gears and springs that make it tell time are roughly 100 years old on average. We call these watches the American Artisan Series because we're celebrating the history and legacy of the artisan watchmakers who built this engineering marvel a century ago in the United States.
The Story
Today most pocket watches are scrapped for the gold or silver of the case (the outside of the antique timepiece), leaving the inside (what we call the "movement") as trash.
We take pride in upcycling these pieces of American history by salvaging as many as we can, then preserving them inside our wristwatches.
Our expert team of watchmakers restores the antique movement and then we manufacture a custom wristwatch case here in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The Strap
We partnered with Worn & Wound to produce a custom set of straps for our American Artisan Series watches. We now have 15 different colors to choose from including our two Horween Shell Cordovan options. These straps are made in the USA and are based on the Windup Model 2 Premium strap that Worn and Wound offers.
