Keystone "Extra" case

[MikeB]

Hi -

I have a 12 size Howard in a Howard marked Keystone "EXTRA" case.

I assume (but am not positive) that the watch is gold filled, so does anyone know what "EXTRA" refers to?

Thanks!
Mike.

[MikeB]

Hi -

I have a 12 size Howard in a Howard marked Keystone "EXTRA" case.

I assume (but am not positive) that the watch is gold filled, so does anyone know what "EXTRA" refers to?

Thanks!
Mike.

[Kent]

A 1918 Howard catalogue No. 7, reprinted by the Arlington Book Co., refers to '... "Crescent" Extra or "Jas. Boss" Extra Gold Filled ...' cases but doesn't define what Extra means. Its possible that this term was taking the place of the number of years the case was supposed to wear for. If so, one could expect that the Keystone-Howard watches would be housed in the equivilant to a 25-year case, since that was what was specified previously.

Kent

[John Cote]

I have several 18s J. Boss Extra cases, including a couple that are multicolor. The earlier ones are just marked 14k and the dust ring inside the case says 14k and does not say filled, but these cases are filled. One of these cases has had a groove cut in it for testing and they had to go very deep to get to the base metal in the middle. I always assumed that these were the top of the line cases that the company made and that they had extra gold in the gold layers.

------------------
JohnCote
President, Indiana Chapter 18 - NAWCC

http://www.interstatetime.com

[terry hall]

I always thought the "extra" were the equilivant of a 'permanent' case.....just can't remember where I read it....

[Larry Jones 98326]

Terry,

You might run a search here, seems like this topic came up before......

Larry

[Jack wagner]

Taken from a Howard catalog. It appears the Crescent and J Boss were dropped after c1918.

Keystone Extra appears to be the Gold Filled version. See the bottom middle of the ad.
http://members.aol.com/jackwagner999/howard.jpg

[This message has been edited by Jack wagner (edited 12-27-2001).]

[terry hall]

Thanks for the scan Jack.

I tried a search, the only relevant topic it uncovered was the one we are discussing....
maybe I am "search illiterate"....still have not uncovered source for opinion of "permanent" equivalent....

But I did find two references....one in Shugart 2001 under the case markings section and also in Ehrhardt's Trademarks book.....
They both contain the same description...
keystone "extra"; substitute for all gold case.

I believe it shows to be a higher quality case than a 25 year.

[This message has been edited by terry hall (edited 12-27-2001).]

[sabphd]

The Keystone-Howard Co. wanted to do things in a fiist class manor. They did not produce any movements with less than 17J and 3 position adjustments. They gold filled cases were better than those commonly sold. Initially their GF cases were 25 yr. quality, but later produced the "Extra" grade. Presumably these had a thicker clad of gold on top of the base metal. In collecting 12s Howards, I have seen very few that have gone into the brass. Perhaps there is some kind of a physical method that can measure the gold layer to actually verify the differences between the 25 yr. and Extra cases. The Hamilton "permanent" Gf cases are probably equivalent in quality.