Watch Description
What makes the Boston 444 unique: Today, we're thrilled to present this unique and historic piece originally produced by the American Waltham Watch Company in 1901 — the Boston 444. The watch's dial features a breathtakingly original style with a floral design accompanied by gilt stars and crescents. The dial also has an eye-catching light green shading as well as remarkably sophisticated hour and minute hands. We emphasized the pocket watch's one-of-a-kind dial by encasing it within our gleaming, scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case, and we equipped it with a gold-plated crown that matches the dial's golden details. The back of the watch boasts an antique Maximus-grade open-face movement and impressive bronze-plated gears. The original pocket watch also features 21 lavish jewels throughout its ¾ plate. Finally, we paired the Boston 444 with our comfortable, hand-crafted Olive leather watch strap, further drawing attention to the dial's noteworthy colors. The American Waltham Watch Company initially produced the Boston 444's pocket watch in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1901 — the same year that Annie Taylor became the first person to travel over Niagara Falls in a barrel. The 63-year-old schoolteacher thought that performing the dangerous feat would earn her fame and fortune, but people quickly forgot about her shortly after her foolhardy stunt. Although she failed to make a name for herself during her lifetime, she inspired others to travel over Niagara Falls intentionally, and her legacy inspired a musical, multiple poems, and a children's book titled Queen of the Falls.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: 11032355
- Manufacture Year: 1901
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 21 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.
