Pocket Horlogy

Pocket Horology is a national chapter of the NAWCC dedicated to collaborative research on the history and horology of pocket watches. All pocket watch enthusiasts are cordially invited to join the over 100 current members of NAWCC Chapter 174, Pocket Horology.

Recent Research Projects by Chapter members Are Noted Below

The research works appearing herein are copyrighted by the authors whose names appear there. This information is granted to visitors for their personal use only and comment. Any other reproduction, by any means - mechanical or electronic - without the express written permission of the author(s) is strictly prohibited.

Although the authors have taken considerable steps to authenticate references and submitted data, no responsibility is taken for the accuracy of this information. User must accept it "as is" and use discretion.

An Early Experimental E. Howard & Company Watch
Contemporary watch collectors who might have begun to despair that any new horological gems are still out there waiting to be discovered can take heart from an intriguing, extraordinarily well preserved E. Howard & Company watch, with movement S/N 3208, that recently was discovered by Mr. Chris Abell.
[click here for article by Clint Geller]

Who Made These James Russell & Co., Hartford Conn, Watches
There are a number of James Russell watches that appear to be custom/private label American Watch Co. Model 57s, Circa 1860s. Although each movement has something inconsistent with a M57, everything else looks correct. Indeed, they look like some watchmaker made the movements from M57 parts. However, the parts don't measure up.
[click here for article on Ron Price's web site]

Howard Factory Customers:
This research by Chapter 174 members Harold Visser and Clint Geller is a compilation of the known customers of the watchmaking firm of E. Howard & Company.
[click here for Microsoft Word doc file]

E. Howard & Co. Watch Movement Production Figures:
This research by Chapter 174 members Harold Visser and Clint Geller, to be published in Research Activites and News in the NAWCC BULLETIN, grew out of work presented by Clint Geller at the 2002 NAWCC Seminar in Boxborough, last October. Clint, and fellow Chapter 174 member Harold Visser, have been working assiduously with copies of the original E. Howard & Co. factory records to assemble a comprehensive and easily digestible picture of Howard watch production. They have been assisted in this effort by long-time Chapter 174 member and Smithsonian volunteer Bob Rolfe. The factory records are terse, incomplete and not infrequently enigmatic. Through a painstaking process of cross-correlation with movement data and visual images compiled by collectors over the past half century, he and Harold have been able to enhance greatly our understanding of these records and the information they contain. A major part of this effort, an expansion of Dr. Geller's 2002 seminar presentation, will appear next year as part of an NAWCC special publication. Certain key tables from this article, which were presented last October, will appear shortly on this website. Other unrelated data extracted from the records, such as a comprehensive listing of production purchasers, complete with dates and serial numbers of first and last purchases, will appear shortly as well.
[click here for web page article] [here for Microsoft Word 6 doc file]

E. Howard & Co. Watch Grades and Rayed Movements:
This original research on E. Howard & Co. watch grades and Rayed keywind movement production was first presented at the 2002 NAWCC seminar in Boxborough MA. It is excerpted from Clint Geller's artilce entitled: "The Development of the E. Howard & Company Three-Quarter Plate Watch Movement: 1862-1875," to appear next year as part of an NAWCC special publication.
[click here for web page article] [here for Microsoft Word 6 doc file]

Origins of the Waltham Model 57:
This research works by member Ron Price describes the Evolution Of The First Successful Industrialized Watch, starting with the Boston Watch Company in 1850 through 1878 when the The American Watch Company stopped producing their so-called Model 57 pocket watch; Ron also documents in great detail the Design Changes in the Model 57 throughout its 25 year life cycle. Abstract of the complete monograph was presented at the NAWCC 2002 Seminar. It has been submitted to NAWCC for publication perhaps in 2004.
Draft monograph available on Ron's web site.

We are please to publish our first article designed for on-line reading. Kent Singer has responded to the popular question "What is a Railroad Watch?" with this informative piece.

Dr.Heilman's slides from the Orlando meeting have been scanned and a few of the watches have been collected together in set of web pages for your enjoyment. More watches will be added as time permits, so please check back when you can.

Jack Goldberg's Presentation on the Gruen Watch Co. is now available on-line. Please view and enjoy Jack's presentation on the company that defined prestige and image based advertising and also built some very fine watches.

If you are not currently an NAWCC Member, you can join the NAWCC through their website.

This web site is supported by Chapter 174 members dues. If you enjoy using it, please consider joining our chapter and participating in our programs.

We welcome images and new entries into the "Great American Watches" section of the site. Please share your thoughts and your treasures with your colleagues.

Recent Research Projects by Chapter members Are Noted Below

Photo of a Hamilton 950B movement.

Movement #S1747, circa 1944

Back to Top