Watch Description
What makes the Boston 451 unique: Today, we're excited to present this stunning piece initially produced by the American Waltham Company in 1908 — the Boston 451. The original pocket watch boasts a breathtaking and opulent-looking dial. It features gold-colored numerals and a gilt hexagon center design atop its light-cream-colored background. The dial also has dark arrow hands and a striking gold-colored subdial with black numerals. We paired the pocket watch with our scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case and equipped it with a gold-plated crown that complements the dial's colors. The back of the watch exhibits a Riverside-grade open-face movement with a Patent regulator and Breguet hairspring. Its ¾ plate features a stunning stylized engraving, "Waltham, Mass Riverside." The watch's rear also displays gold-plated gears powered by 19 sumptuous jewels. Finally, we matched the watch with our hand-crafted Stout leather watch strap. The American Waltham Watch Company manufactured the Boston 451's original pocket watch in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1908 — the first New Year to feature the Times Square Ball drop in New York City. The New York Times owner Adolph Ochs first began hosting Times Square New Year's celebrations in 1904, first event had over 200,000 attendees. Later, Ochs hired Artkraft Strauss to create the first iteration of the iconic Times Square Ball. Strauss created the ball from iron and wood, and he used one hundred incandescent light bulbs to make it shine. The first ball drop occurred on December 31, 1907, welcoming in 1908.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.
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Watch Specifications
- Manufacturer: Vortic Watch Company
- 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: 17048922
- Manufacture Year: 1908
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 19 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
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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.
