In 1854 Aaron Dennison and Edward Howard moved their watch and clock business from Boston to Waltham. Seeking a clean, dust-free environment in which to assemble their precision movements, they built their factory, at the time the world's largest brick structure, on the banks of the Charles River.

Over the next 100 years, the Waltham Watch Company grew to worldwide renown, producing some 40 million watches and pioneering the method of mass production with interchangeable parts. Waltham watches were affordable, quality products, perfect for the rising American middle class.

In the museum's Watch & Clock gallery you'll learn the story of the Waltham Watch Company and how it shaped the future of our country's manufacturing success (Henry Ford's visit to the factory inspired his use of the assembly line in automobile manufacturing). Watches, clocks, machine tools, even a vintage watchmaker's shop - these tell the tale of how Waltham became known as the "Watch City."

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