Watch Description
What makes the Boston Railroad 003 unique: Today, we’re thrilled to showcase a truly one-of-a-kind piece from our Railroad Edition watch series originally released by the American Waltham Watch Company over a century ago — the Boston Railroad 003. These railroad pocket watches were the height of watchmaking prestige when created and featured a safety lever beneath the bezel that prevented the time from being accidentally changed while winding the watch. To access that lever, we have equipped this watch with a unique removable bezel that makes it possible to adjust the time. This marvel of American manufacturing boasts large, striking black numerals and a matching subdial that looks especially eye-catching against its tan background. The front of the piece also displays blued steel, extra-heavy spade and whip watch hands that glimmer vividly in the light. We ensconced this special pocket watch within our artisan-manufactured Machined Titanium railroad case and equipped it with a titanium crown. On the back of this stunning piece, you can see its antique Vanguard-grade open-face movement with a Lever-grade setting and distinct, beautiful demaskeened patterns across its bridge plates. The piece also features gold-plated gears that and 23 sumptuous jewels throughout. To top off this exceptional watch, we paired it with our stylish Tobacco leather watch strap.
The American Waltham Watch Company initially produced the pocket watch in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1918 — the same year that the Twin Peaks Tunnel opened in San Francisco underneath the Twin Peaks hills. At the time of its building, the tunnel was the largest in the world for street railway traffic, and it took seven minutes to travel through it.
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
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Diameter: 49mm
- Case Material: Machined Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Waltham Watch Company
- Serial Number: 20066066
- Manufacture Year: 1929
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 23 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: Railroad
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Boston Railroad 003 unique: Today, we’re thrilled to showcase a truly one-of-a-kind piece from our Railroad Edition watch series originally released by the American Waltham Watch Company over a century ago — the Boston Railroad 003. These railroad pocket watches were the height of watchmaking prestige when created and featured a safety lever beneath the bezel that prevented the time from being accidentally changed while winding the watch. To access that lever, we have equipped this watch with a unique removable bezel that makes it possible to adjust the time. This marvel of American manufacturing boasts large, striking black numerals and a matching subdial that looks especially eye-catching against its tan background. The front of the piece also displays blued steel, extra-heavy spade and whip watch hands that glimmer vividly in the light. We ensconced this special pocket watch within our artisan-manufactured Machined Titanium railroad case and equipped it with a titanium crown. On the back of this stunning piece, you can see its antique Vanguard-grade open-face movement with a Lever-grade setting and distinct, beautiful demaskeened patterns across its bridge plates. The piece also features gold-plated gears that and 23 sumptuous jewels throughout. To top off this exceptional watch, we paired it with our stylish Tobacco leather watch strap.
The American Waltham Watch Company initially produced the pocket watch in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1918 — the same year that the Twin Peaks Tunnel opened in San Francisco underneath the Twin Peaks hills. At the time of its building, the tunnel was the largest in the world for street railway traffic, and it took seven minutes to travel through it.
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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.
