E. Howard Watch Company

[107WestStreet]

Was this company based out of New York or Boston?

[John F]

E. Howard & Co. was based in Roxbury, Mass. Howard was one of the original founders of what became the American Waltham Watch Company. When the original company failed in 1857, Howard started his own company with Charles Rice in 1858.

In 1902 the Howard name was purchased by the Keystone Watch Case Co., and was located in Jersey City, N.J. The watches that were produced by Keystone under this name were completely different from the earlier Howards.

[Jerry Treiman]

I believe there was also a private label made by Waltham and perhaps others for Howard Bros., New York. This is no relation to the E.Howard Watch Co.

[Tom McIntyre]

With a couple of exceptions, all the watches produced by the earlier company are signed E. Howard & Co. The later company is E. Howard Watch Co.

I realize that John and Jerry know this, I just wanted to clarify the data.

In addition to the Howard Brothers Excelsior and some other watches, there are also a small number of E. Howard Watch Co. New York that I have heard about. I think they are late products of New York Standard continuing to use the E. Howard name. It was later sold to Hamilton and used on some Hamilton wrist watch movements.

[Kent]

Hi 107WestStreet:

If I understand correctly, E. Howard & Co. maintained a New York office (as did many companies in the trade), probably on Maiden Lane.

[John F]

Jerry's got a remarkable memory! Ron Price's excellent "Origins of the Waltham Model 57" lists two Walthams that are marked "Made for Howard & Co., New York" on the barrel bridge(#416576 and #440062). And according to this online listing of Maker's Marks (http://www.925-1000.com/american-mfg5.html), Howard & Co. was a NY jeweler from 1866 to 1922.

[mikeh]

I realize that it's not E. Howard, but since the private labels have been mentioned, #877741, a nickel model 57, just sold on ebay last week, "EXCELSIOR" on barrel bridge, "MADE ONLY FOR HOWARD & CO. Fifth Avenue NEW YORK" on the balance cock, and "AT WALTHAM MASS." on train bridge.

[LloydB]

Nearly a year later, a similarly marked
model 57 is on offer on ebay -- item #170060843448

Howard & Co, New York was a jeweler/retailer.

The starting price item seems, erm, optimistic?
It's been up several times now, so others
must agree. But it's possibly of interest
for a database somewhere.

this one is movement #416005

[Clint Geller]

My recollection is that the "Howard Watch Co.," as opposed to "E. Howard & Co." was based in Waltham Mass, in the factory building formerly owned by the US Watch Co. of Waltham (which in it's own turn, is not to be confused with the earlier US Watch Co. of Marion, NJ.) The original Howard firm actually underwent several business reorganizations in it's turbulent history, with accompanying legal name changes. I seem to recall that in 1903, when watchmaking operations finally ceased, the legal name of the company was the "Howard Clock and Watch Company." Nevertheless, their watch movements and dials always were signed "E. Howard & Co.," regardless of the legal name changes. Except for about 275 watches made for Webb C. Ball, the original Howard company did not make private label movements, although they did occasionally substitute a retailer's name in place of their own on a watch dial. Prominent private label dial customers included: Joslin & Park of Denver Co; Benedict Bros. NY; G. C. Shreve, S.F.; A.M. Hill, New Orleans; H. N. Lockwood, Boston; etc. However, to my knowledge, E. Howard & Co. never did business with Howard Bros. of NY. (Howard Bros. does not appear in the list of customers that Harold Visser and I compiled from the Howard factory records.) Howard Bros. private label watches, through no fault of their own, occasionally cause great confusion among novice buyers and sellers alike.

And yes, E. Howard & Co. maintained sales offices in NYC (indeed on Maiden Lane), Boston, and (for a time) Chicago.

[LloydB]

In case I wasn't clear... the movement I
mentioned is an American Watch Co. Model 57
*marked* for a NY retailer/jeweler named Howard,
but totally unrelated (AFAIK) to the Howard watch
company in any way.

Earlier posts in this thread described others
that may be similar.

Sorry if I confused anyone.