Ruby Banking Pins - What's the fuss?

[Dave Berghold]

There are a number of watches out there with ruby banking pins. Howard (Keystone) made a number of them including the Edward Howard and some of the "O" series. For the life of me, I can not understand what advantage this might have towards the quality of the watch. Is this something like a diamond end stone (as apposed to ruby) on the balance of some Waltham watches? What other company used Ruby banking pins and what's the advantage. It seems like a lot more manufacturing trouble than it is worth. Your thoughts are appreciated. Dave

[Dave Berghold]

There are a number of watches out there with ruby banking pins. Howard (Keystone) made a number of them including the Edward Howard and some of the "O" series. For the life of me, I can not understand what advantage this might have towards the quality of the watch. Is this something like a diamond end stone (as apposed to ruby) on the balance of some Waltham watches? What other company used Ruby banking pins and what's the advantage. It seems like a lot more manufacturing trouble than it is worth. Your thoughts are appreciated. Dave

[Dr. Jon]

Technically you are correct.

The issue is one of culture and the Howard company under Edward Howard, after his death and even under his successors reatined a peculiar aversion to regular banking pins.

Howard tried to eliminate them by trying out the Coles resilaint escapement, and the Lange and ultimately making the pallet bridge shape to include an integral banking stop.

Many Howard enthusiasts believe he simply hated adjustable banking pins as a lazy, unworthy part of watch adjusting. He also refused to use more than 15 jewels so the higher jewel counts in Boston Howards are from after his departure from the company.

So, Howard had a thing about banking pins and this carried over to the Keystone movements. The idea of adjsutable ruby banking pins would probably have been a double anathema to Mr. Howard but such is the way successors often "carry on tradition".

They still represent the best the Keystone company made in general production and this is their attraction to those of us who have studied this.

So far as Howard himself was concerned fifteen jewels and an integral baninking on the pallet bridegr was all a high grade watch needed and anything elese was gimicry.

When a movement is to have 23 jewel, assuming the motor barrel is already jeweled, two options are added caps or ruby banking pins, which are both functional but but hardly useful jewels.

There was considerable belief that capping the pallet bridge was counterproductive and in this regard ruby banking pins are a way to raise the jewel count and not make the watch worse.

So, you pays your money and buys what you likes.

Dr. Jon

[Kent]

Dr. Jon:

Wow! That's some niffty explanation!

I always thought that the reason for the jeweled banking pins was to maintain the the 23-jewels in the Series 0 when Keystone-Howard gave up the jeweled safety barrel. That is when the jeweled banking pins first appeared, isn't it?

Kent

That guy down in Georgia :smile:

[Dave Berghold]

Dr. Jon,
Thanks for your input. As you seem to have a good grasp on the situation in regards to Howards (earier and later), what's your take on the fact that the earlier Howards not having an overcoil hairspring.... even when those that are adjusted to 5 positions. Not wanting to change the direction of this thread, just curious about the thoughts of others in regards to this other feature.... Thanks!

[Dr. Jon]

Dave

most of what I "know" on this I learned at the cradle of American Horology Seminar.

As I understand it, Edward also thought overcoils weren't necessary. This surprised me and for a long time I thought this feature was essential for five position and isochronism adjustment.

I have seen other fine watches such as Vacheron and Constantin with good adjustment and flat springs so I am gradually coming to understand that overcoils are not necessary.

For the Howards the trick is that they used a Geneva Stop under the mainspring barrel so it is not visible in the later watches unless you disassemble them. This reduces the power variation and if the motion is kept at about 1 1/2 turns the poise errors are minimal.

Boston Howards made after Howard left do have overcoils and more than 15 jewels.

As to Kent's speculation about the timing of the appearance of jeweled banking pins, I too await more knowledgable replies.

I have a couple of 12 size 23 jewel watches which I think have jeweled barrels. I once owned a 10 size with fixed ruby banking pins.

Dr. Jon