Watch Description
What makes the Boston 470 unique: oday, we’re thrilled to feature this one-of-a-kind watch dating all the way back to the 19th century — the Boston 470. The American Waltham Watch Company produced this piece’s original pocket watch, which features a sophisticated dial with a gorgeous white background in 1896. The dial also features thin black hour numerals, red minute numerals, and blued steel fine spade hands. We matched this stunningly elegant pocket watch with our scratch-resistant Machined Titanium case and a nickel-plated crown. Unlike most of our watches, the crown sits on the side of our case rather than the top, making it even more distinct. On the back of the watch, you can see its 19th-century Royal-grade hunting movement with a patent regulator, Breguet hairspring, nickel finish, and pendant setting. The watch also boasts gold-plated gears and 17 jewels within its ¾ plate, and the movement also features intricate, stylish markings. To top the piece off, we equipped it with our comfortable, artisan-designed Cordovan Black leather watch strap, further emphasizing the watch’s sophisticated design.The American Waltham Watch Company initially produced the Boston 470’s pocket watch in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1896 — the same year that Utah became the 45th state. The United States gained control over the territory making up Utah in 1848 through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which concluded the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. A year before the United States gained control over the territory, the area was settled by a group of Mormons. In 1849, Mormons petitioned for the territory to become part of the United States as the state of Deseret. Eight years later, public opinion turned against the Church of Latter-day Saints and Utah’s statehood process was halted after the Mountain Meadows Massacre, a mass killing conducted by the Utah Territorial Militia, known as Nauvoo Legion, against the Baker-Fancher emigrant wagon train, leading to 120 deaths. Another point of contention was the early Mormon church’s practice of polygomy, which became illegal in the United States in 1862. Fortunately, the church renounced polygamy in their 1890 Manifesto, leading to the Federal government accepting their application for statehood.
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: Nickel Plated
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Sapphire
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Waltham Watch Company
- Serial Number: 7273713
- Manufacture Year: 1896
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 17 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: 12s
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
The American Waltham Watch Company initially produced the Boston 470’s pocket watch in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1896 — the same year that Utah became the 45th state. The United States gained control over the territory making up Utah in 1848 through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which concluded the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848. A year before the United States gained control over the territory, the area was settled by a group of Mormons. In 1849, Mormons petitioned for the territory to become part of the United States as the state of Deseret. Eight years later, public opinion turned against the Church of Latter-day Saints and Utah’s statehood process was halted after the Mountain Meadows Massacre, a mass killing conducted by the Utah Territorial Militia, known as Nauvoo Legion, against the Baker-Fancher emigrant wagon train, leading to 120 deaths. Another point of contention was the early Mormon church’s practice of polygomy, which became illegal in the United States in 1862. Fortunately, the church renounced polygamy in their 1890 Manifesto, leading to the Federal government accepting their application for statehood.
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.
