Watch Description
What makes the Boston 042 unique:
The Boston 042 carries a spirit of individuality and preservation. Its crisp white dial is marked with bold curling Arabic numerals and a recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock, all brought to life under a pair of blued steel moon hands. The display is clean, balanced, and full of vintage charm.
Through the open caseback, ornate bridge engravings show the artistry of Waltham’s engineers on this 17-jewel mechanical movement from 1917, originally designed in a "hunting" configuration with the crown at 3 o’clock rather than 12. Instead of placing it in a traditional case, we leaned into that “oddball” quality and mounted it in one of our standard configuration cases, creating a wristwatch that sits completely differently and stands out, even among a collection of one-of-a-kind pieces, like ours.
This unconventional layout recalls the early “driving watches” of the 1920s, which were designed to angle the face of the watch on the wearer's wrist for quick readability when gripping a steering wheel. As car collectors and enthusiasts ourselves, we love the idea of embracing something purposeful yet quirky—because sometimes not looking normal is better.
Encased in machined stainless steel with an angled bezel, paired with a knurled machined-steel crown and an American-made navy blue leather strap, The Boston 042 is a timepiece that wears its heritage proudly while embracing its eccentricities.
🎥 Watch the full story here: Instagram Reel
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
- Model Year: 2025
- Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
- Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 45mm
- Thickness: 12mm
- Lug to Lug: 55mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Case Material: Tumbled Steel
- Crown/Hardware: Stainless Steel
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Waltham Watch Company
- Serial Number: 21300693
- Manufacture Year: 1918
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Boston 042 unique:
The Boston 042 carries a spirit of individuality and preservation. Its crisp white dial is marked with bold curling Arabic numerals and a recessed sub-seconds dial at 6 o’clock, all brought to life under a pair of blued steel moon hands. The display is clean, balanced, and full of vintage charm.
Through the open caseback, ornate bridge engravings show the artistry of Waltham’s engineers on this 17-jewel mechanical movement from 1917, originally designed in a "hunting" configuration with the crown at 3 o’clock rather than 12. Instead of placing it in a traditional case, we leaned into that “oddball” quality and mounted it in one of our standard configuration cases, creating a wristwatch that sits completely differently and stands out, even among a collection of one-of-a-kind pieces, like ours.
This unconventional layout recalls the early “driving watches” of the 1920s, which were designed to angle the face of the watch on the wearer's wrist for quick readability when gripping a steering wheel. As car collectors and enthusiasts ourselves, we love the idea of embracing something purposeful yet quirky—because sometimes not looking normal is better.
Encased in machined stainless steel with an angled bezel, paired with a knurled machined-steel crown and an American-made navy blue leather strap, The Boston 042 is a timepiece that wears its heritage proudly while embracing its eccentricities.
🎥 Watch the full story here: Instagram Reel
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.
