Watch Description
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.
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 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: 22053439
- Manufacture Year: 1918
- Function: Manual Wind
- Jewels: 23 Jewels
- Hands: Original
- Size: Railroad
- Power Reserve: ~36 Hours
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.
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.