My new Favorite E.Howard Series IV

[LarryW]

This is now my favorite top watch.

This watch is all flash too. It's almost being rude to show this watch off.

I know it's rayed damaskeen version, but I cant find this pattern online or in any of my old NAWCC publications. I Even have Ray Tyulty's book and it has 38 photos of several damaskeen variations. But not my series IV variation. I do have an image of the gilt series 3 rayed damaskeen in Ray's photos and I also own a piece of a gilt Rayed series 3 .

Pocket watch database has a similar but different variation than mine. But it only has one image to show. My Rays start at the motor barrel. When I look at it, it makes me think that I'm looking at the sun with rays shining from it.

Here's the images. Is my variation uncommon. I just have not seen another watch with the exact same pattern, but I'm sure more exist.

 

[musicguy]

It's almost being rude to show this watch off.

Nice, I love when people are really
passionate about their watches. I know I am.






Rob

 

[MrRoundel]

Beautiful! It looks like true "sun-ray" damasceening. If I've seen, I've seen one, i.e., certainly not common. I might have a list somewhere that H. Visser put together years ago that might list the finish. I'll see if I can dredge it up later. Enjoy the sunrise. Then turn 180 degrees and enjoy the sunset. Cheers.

 

[LarryW]

Yes, Musicman. I love my watches.This new one is mine till the grave. I'm leaving it in the keystone silveroid.case. the thing was busted up when I got it. One of the plate screws had broken off and it was making the clutch assembly slip and grind , and it couldn't hold a full wind. The balance staff was slightly bent, and somebody actually added 2 extra large balance weights and 6 washers to it....
75 dollars later about a month and a half ago, and I'm set now. I don't even have a temptation of a solid gold case E Howard now. This thing is so slick in this silverioid case. It's going to last forever now. It's already 150 years old. Running like new With a Solid Gold minute hand I added to it. The dial has a little damage, but it's. Original.

I love it. It's amazing in this silverioid case.

MrRoundel, your right about the sunset being seen also. It's a very curious design. I also have the very rare Keystone Series 3 With Ray's. But the Ray's span from the balance wheel in that example. I assume the keystone version is tribute to that old pattern.

 

[Clint Geller]

The eccentric rayed pattern is standard for the scarce damaskeened examples of the early Howard N Size Model 1862N (Series III) and N Size Model 1871 (Series IV) movements, though the number of rays in the pattern varied. I don't recall seeing it so much on the roughly contemporaneous L Size Model 1869 (Series V) movements. The pattern was centered on the mainspring barrel, rather than the center pinion, in order to draw the eye to those patented features of the watch. In the case of the Model 1862N, this would have been Reed's patented main wheel assembly. In the case of the Model 1871, this would have been Howard's patented steel safety barrel. Both inventions had the same purpose, to protect the escapement and gear train from damage in the event of a sharp reverse impulse such as often accompanied mainspring breakages. Examples are shown in Figures 6, 29, and 31 through 34, in my 2005 NAWCC book. The earliest damaskeened Howard movements were gold flashed brass. These are scarce. These were followed by about 140 Model 1862N movements with nickel plated brass plates. The damaskeened Model 1871 movements, which are more plentiful, have solid nickel plates.