Watch Description
The American mechanism inside this watch is not a replica or an "inspired" piece. It was genuinely carried by an individual, 100 years ago, that depended on it. Each time you wear this watch, you will be transported through time, imagining who this individual was and the work they did to help build our country. Simply put, American Artisan Series watches make you feel something when you put them on. At Vortic, we tell customers that owning a watch isn't nearly as important as owning a story. And, this is an opportunity to be a part of a story that is bigger than yourself. You won't be the first to own this watch, and you certainly won't be the last, so make your chapter count.
The American Artisan Series is a line of fully American Made wristwatches powered by restored, U.S. made pocket watch movements. Individuals commonly scrap pocket watch cases for their precious metal, leaving the original mechanism orphaned. This watch contains the original movement (timepiece), dial (face), and hands from a vintage (1880's - 1950's) pocket watch made by Waltham Watch Company. We call this model "The Boston" because of the company's proximity to the city.
Railroad grade pocket watches, also known as Standard watches, were explicitly made for railroad employees. As such, they were the highest quality and most sought after watches of the time. American railroads decided upon a rigorous set of regulations to qualify timepieces as "railroad grade" due to their role in maintaining schedules for the American rail system. Click HERE to learn more about railroad watches.
A defining feature of all railroad grade watches is their setting mechanism. Instead of simply pulling out the crown to put the watch in "setting mode," the original railroad pocket watches required you to remove the front of the watch and actuate a lever to accomplish the same thing. This way, the time on these essential watches was never accidentally changed. Vortic's Railroad Edition of the American Artisan Series features a removable bezel that dramatically improves upon the original design. The Railroad Edition case protects the dial from access while the bezel is removed and is fully water resistant when the bezel is appropriately tightened. Click HERE to learn more about how Vortic's Railroad Edition works.
NOTE - this watch is not water resistant when the bezel is not installed or is installed incorrectly.
What makes the Boston Railroad 002 unique: The Railroad Series is back! We’re excited to feature this highly distinct and sophisticated Railroad Watch that was originally manufactured by the American Waltham Watch Company in 1918 — the Boston Railroad 002. This remarkable and intricately-designed Railroad Watch boasts a highly unique dial with bold black Roman numerals indicating the hour and Arabic numerals for calculating military time. The front of the watch also displays a useful subdial and blued steel extra heavy spade & whip watch hands. We matched this antique piece of American history with our robust Machined Titanium Railroad Edition case and topped it off with a titanium crown, making the wristwatch even more special. Our Machined Titanium Railroad Edition case features a transparent back, allowing you to view the watch’s Vanguard-grade open-face movement with a lever setting. The movement features stunning gilt inlay engravings, including stylish markings that read “Vanguard” and “Waltham, Mass.” The back of the watch also showcases gold-plated gears and 23 stunning jewels throughout its bridge plate. Like with all of our Railroad Edition watches, our case comes with a removable bezel, enabling the watch’s owner to access the lever and adjust the time, and we also embedded two o-rings underneath the bezel to create a water-resistant seal. This is so that the conductor using the watch wouldn't accidentally change the time while winding the watch, as time accuracy was of absolute importance to the safety of train travel. Finally, we complemented this unforgettable antique with our comfortable Black leather watch strap.
The American Waltham Watch Company initially released the Boston Railroad 002’s in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1918 — the same year Corporal Alvin York and his seven men heroically captured an entire German unit during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I. York and others were behind enemy lines and had just captured a group of German soldiers when the Germans mounted a surprise attack from a machine gun nest, killing six American soldiers and injuring three others. Fortunately, York and others resided in well-obstructed positions that protected them from the sudden machine gun fire. York and his men killed at least 25 Germans, and with the death toll mounting, the Imperial German Army First Lieutenant Paul Jürgen Vollmer surrendered. York and his team recovered 35 machine guns and captured 132 German soldiers.
The American Waltham Watch Company initially released the Boston Railroad 002’s in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1918 — the same year Corporal Alvin York and his seven men heroically captured an entire German unit during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I. York and others were behind enemy lines and had just captured a group of German soldiers when the Germans mounted a surprise attack from a machine gun nest, killing six American soldiers and injuring three others. Fortunately, York and others resided in well-obstructed positions that protected them from the sudden machine gun fire. York and his men killed at least 25 Germans, and with the death toll mounting, the Imperial German Army First Lieutenant Paul Jürgen Vollmer surrendered. York and his team recovered 35 machine guns and captured 132 German soldiers.
Case Style:This case has been CNC milled from a solid block of aerospace grade titanium. The case is intentionally left unpolished so the intricate tool marks made during the milling process remain visible. Titanium is the ultimate material for strength to weight ratio. Titanium has a darker look than steel, and due to its low thermal conductivity, feels warm to the touch. These characteristics create an enduring, highly wearable, distinctive piece.
Movement: The manually wound, antique, pocket watch movement inside this watch has been meticulously restored to as close to original condition as possible. Vortic has an exclusive group of highly experienced watchmakers that specialize in vintage watches. Before its use in a wristwatch, each movement is completely disassembled, cleaned, oiled, and calibrated. Each finished Vortic watch is tested for at least a week before completion.
This watch's movement is serial number 22053439 from the Waltham Watch Company. 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
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Case Dimensions:
- Diameter: 51mm
- Height: 14.5mm
- Lug-to-Lug: 60mm
- Lugs: 22mm
- Case Finish: Machined Titanium
- Crown/Hardware: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 1 ATM
- Crystals: Gorilla Glass
- Case Back: Stainless Steel
- Strap: Leather
Movement
- Manufacturer: Waltham Watch Company
- Serial Number: 22053439
- Manufacture Year: 1918
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 23j
- Hands: Original
- Size: Railroad
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
What makes the Boston Railroad 002 unique: The Railroad Series is back! We’re excited to feature this highly distinct and sophisticated Railroad Watch that was originally manufactured by the American Waltham Watch Company in 1918 — the Boston Railroad 002. This remarkable and intricately-designed Railroad Watch boasts a highly unique dial with bold black Roman numerals indicating the hour and Arabic numerals for calculating military time. The front of the watch also displays a useful subdial and blued steel extra heavy spade & whip watch hands. We matched this antique piece of American history with our robust Machined Titanium Railroad Edition case and topped it off with a titanium crown, making the wristwatch even more special. Our Machined Titanium Railroad Edition case features a transparent back, allowing you to view the watch’s Vanguard-grade open-face movement with a lever setting. The movement features stunning gilt inlay engravings, including stylish markings that read “Vanguard” and “Waltham, Mass.” The back of the watch also showcases gold-plated gears and 23 stunning jewels throughout its bridge plate. Like with all of our Railroad Edition watches, our case comes with a removable bezel, enabling the watch’s owner to access the lever and adjust the time, and we also embedded two o-rings underneath the bezel to create a water-resistant seal. This is so that the conductor using the watch wouldn't accidentally change the time while winding the watch, as time accuracy was of absolute importance to the safety of train travel. Finally, we complemented this unforgettable antique with our comfortable Black leather watch strap.
The American Waltham Watch Company initially released the Boston Railroad 002’s in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1918 — the same year Corporal Alvin York and his seven men heroically captured an entire German unit during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I. York and others were behind enemy lines and had just captured a group of German soldiers when the Germans mounted a surprise attack from a machine gun nest, killing six American soldiers and injuring three others. Fortunately, York and others resided in well-obstructed positions that protected them from the sudden machine gun fire. York and his men killed at least 25 Germans, and with the death toll mounting, the Imperial German Army First Lieutenant Paul Jürgen Vollmer surrendered. York and his team recovered 35 machine guns and captured 132 German soldiers.
The American Waltham Watch Company initially released the Boston Railroad 002’s in Waltham, Massachusetts, in 1918 — the same year Corporal Alvin York and his seven men heroically captured an entire German unit during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in World War I. York and others were behind enemy lines and had just captured a group of German soldiers when the Germans mounted a surprise attack from a machine gun nest, killing six American soldiers and injuring three others. Fortunately, York and others resided in well-obstructed positions that protected them from the sudden machine gun fire. York and his men killed at least 25 Germans, and with the death toll mounting, the Imperial German Army First Lieutenant Paul Jürgen Vollmer surrendered. York and his team recovered 35 machine guns and captured 132 German soldiers.
Quality Straps
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.
Mission
Our mission is to preserve and enhance the legacy of manufacturing excellence in America. We believe that this legacy is highly relevant in the world of watch manufacturing because our goal is to marry form and function in a way that makes something beautiful that will last forever. American made pocket watches were of such a high quality and decoration that they evolved into more than just a way to tell time. They became traditional heirlooms to be inherited by future generations as a wedding gift or a coming of age treasure. Each piece tells a lively tale of what U.S. manufacturing meant in the past using an intricate language of decorated bridges, plates, gears, and springs. Today, we are restoring these pieces to their former glory and making them relevant again using the best of modern technology.
American Made
We feel proud and blessed to live in the country, state, and city that we do. However, our motivation to build everything in the United States, and to deal locally whenever possible, is derived from a different source of inspiration. We believe that the close relationships, face-to-face interaction, and tight quality control we achieve while dealing domestically produces a truly superior product. Because of this, we are very transparent about where our components are made as we continue to build our in-house capabilities.
