Charles River Museum welcomes Vortic Watch Company
By Nancy Shohet West GLOBE CORRESPONDENT
STILL TICKING Waltham’s nickname, Watch City, refers to its history as one of the world’s leading watch producers and home to the Waltham Watch Company, which opened in 1854 as the first company to make the timepieces on an assembly line.
Waltham Watch closed its doors almost 60 years ago, but its legacy is not forgotten. A new Colorado-based endeavor called Vortic Watch Company is making Waltham a key stop on its upcoming national tour.
Vortic’s founders are eager to introduce the public to its efforts to revive watch-making in the United States, and locals will get a chance to discover the process firsthand with a special event on Friday, July 22, from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation.
Vortic’s founders “decided the best way to make watches was to resurrect techniques from old and antique watches,” said the museum’s director, Bob Perry. “It’s analogous to a car enthusiast taking an engine from an old car and using it to power something new.”
The event will include exhibits of 19th-century watch-making tools and machines, a discussion with Vortic’s watch-makers, and an exhibit of work by artist Bruce Rosenbaum, who creates sculpture out of discarded watch parts.
The Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation is located at 154 Moody St., Waltham. Admission is $10 for adults; $5 for children ages 6 to 17, college students with current ID, seniors 65 and over, and active duty military personnel; and free for children under 6. For more information, call 781-893-5410 or go to www.charlesrivermuseum.org.