The below 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.
Grade Code* Verbatim Description First S# Price ($)**
0-0-1 Steel Balance (not described in factory records) 4,393
1-0-1 Gold Bal. Movt. 3,566
1-1-1 Gold Bal. Movt. Pat. Reg.b 3,511
1-2-1 Gold Bal. Movt. Sa 3,401
1-3-1 Gold Bal. Movt. Set & P.R. 3,601
2-0-1 Chro. Bal. Movt. 3,371 58.00
2-0-2 Chro. Bal. Movt. Adj. To H&Cc 3,393 70.00
2-0-3 Chro. Bal. Movt. Adj. To H, C & P 3,301 95.00
2-1-1 Chro. Bal. Movt. Pat.Reg.b 3,331 64.00
2-1R-1 N Reed's P.R. 24,351 64.00
2-1-2 Chro. Bal. Movt. P.R. Adj. To H&Cc 3,716 76.00
2-1R-2 Reed's P.R. Adj. To H&Cc 23,991 76.00
2-1-3 Chro. Bal. Movt. P.R. Adj To H, C & P 3,383 101.00
2-1R-3 Reed's P.R. Adjusted 23,951 101.00
2-2-1 Chro. Bal. Movt. Sa 3,441
2-2-2 Chro. Bal. Movt. Set Adj. To H&Cc 3,671
2-2-3 Chro. Bal. Movt. Set Adj. To H, C & P 3,361 100.00
2-3-1 Chro. Bal. Movt. Set & P.R. 3,652 69.00
2-3-2 Chro. Bal. Movt. Set & P.R. Adj. To H&Cc 3,658 81.00
2-3-3 Chro. Bal. Movt. Set & P.R. Adj. To H, C & P 3,321 106.00
2-3R-3 Reed's P.R. Set Jewels Adjusted 23,301 106.00
3-0-3 Chro. Bal. Movt. Adj. To H, C & P Rayed 4,135d
3-1-3 Chro. Bal. Movt. Pat.Reg. Adj. To H, C & P Rayed 4,507d
3-2-3 Chro. Bal. Movt. Set Adj. To H, C & P Rayed 3,362 73.00g
3-3-3 Chro. Bal. Movt. Set & P.R. Adj. To H, C & P Rayed 4,199 116.00
4-3-3 Pat. Reg. Set Jewels Rayed Nickel Adjustede 21,561 125.00
4-3R-3 Reed's P. R. Set Jewels Rayed Nickel Adjusted 23,461 125.00
? Others in 10-lot are 4-3R-HCP 24,337 88.00
? Appears in 10-lot of 2-3R-HCPs 23,458 128.00
4-3R-3 Reed's P. R. Set Jewels Rayed Nickel Adjusted + ? 24,332 135.00
L-4-3R-3(?) L. Reed's P.R. Set Jewels 24,301 125.00f
L-3-3R-3(?) L. Reed's P.R. Set Jewels Adjusted 24,321 116.00f
L-2-3R-3(?) L. Reed's P.R. Set Jewels Adjusted 24,311 106.00f
Table 13.a Legend:
Universal Howard Grade Code: N1-N2-N3
N1 = 0: Solid Steel Balance, Keywind, Gilded Finish (may not have been made in Model 1862)
= 1: Solid Gold Balance, Keywind, Gilded Finish
= 2: Chronometer Balance, Keywind, Gilded Finish
= 3: Chronometer Balance, Keywind, Rayed Gilded Finish
= 4: Chronometer Balance, Keywind, Rayed Nickel-Plated Brass Finish
= 5: Chronometer Balance, Keywind, Rayed Solid Nickel Finish
= 6: Chronometer Balance, Stemwind, Gilded Finish
= 7: Chronometer Balance, Stemwind, Nickel-Plated Brass Finish
= 8: Chronometer Balance, Stemwind, Solid Nickel Finish
= 9: "Ball" Model watches, with 17 jewels, Breguet hairsprings, and ¾ plates.
=10: split plates, 17 jewels, and Breguet hairsprings.N2 = 0: No Jewel Settings, Simple Regulator
= 1: No Jewel Settings, Patent Regulator
= 2: Jewel Settings, Simple Regulator
= 3: Jewel Settings, Patent Regulator
= 1R: No Jewel Settings, Reed's Patent Regulator
= 3R: Jewel Settings, Reed's Patent RegulatorN3 = 1: Adjusted to Isochronism only
= 2: Adjusted to Isochronism and Temperature (i.e., heat and cold)
= 3: Adjusted to Isochronism, Temperature, & Six Positions(?): No L Size movements have been found in this S# range
Notes:
* The system of grade codes here employed is the author's invention. The factory record books employed no numerical grading system in this period.
** The first prices appear after the beginning of the fourth record book, at S# 19,431 dated January 2, 1869. Movements of the same grade appearing substantially before this date may not have had the same price. The absence of an entry in this column of the table indicates that the grade in question had been discontinued prior to S# 19,431.
a: "Set Jewels" sometimes was abbreviated as "S."
b: "Pat. Reg." often was abbreviated as "P.R." Prior to S# 23,301, this referred to Mershon's patent regulator. After S# 23,301 it referred to Reed's patent regulator.
c: "Heat & Cold" usually but not always, was abbreviated as "H & C"
d: This grade is rare. Only one movement seen.
e: Only the first 10-lot of nickel Model 1862 movements at S# 21,561 are listed explicitly as being "Nickel" (actually, nickel-plated) in the factory record book. This ten-lot is dated July 23, 1869. In subsequent 10-lots, nickel movements are identified by price ($125.00), as confirmed by cross-reference with the ETDB.
f: Most ten-lot descriptions in the second and fourth record books (corresponding to the I Size and the N Size Model 1862 serial number runs) include the movement size. These references have been omitted in the table for the sake of brevity. But 20 movements from S# 24,301 up to 24,320 are listed as "L" Size. The prices listed for these movements, from which tentative grade codes were decided, are inconsistent with the written descriptions. The ETDB lists one of these movements, S# 24,309, as an N Size, gilt movement, with expansion balance and Cole's escapement, and marked "Adjusted," contradicting the already somewhat self-contradictory record book.
g: This price is considered especially uncertain
Universal Code Designation 1884 Code Designation
2-2-1 1
6-3R-1 2
6-3R-2 3
8-3R-1 4
8-3R-2 5
6-3R-1 6
8-3R-3 7
? 8*
9-3R-3 9
10-3R-3 10* The factory records indicate that a small, but not insignificant number of the earliest N Size split plate movements were "Grade 8" rather than "Grade 10." A surviving Howard advertisement called the author's attention by Mr. Harold Visser indicates that Grade 8 was the same as Grade 10, with 17 jewels in divided plates and Breguet hairspring, except it was adjusted only to isochronism and temperature, but not to positions.
Grade Code From S# To S# Total in Lot Record Bk # # In ETDB
3-1-3 3,362 3,370 7f 2 1
3-1-3 3,621 3,623 3 2 1
3-?-3 4,094 - 1 None 1e
3-0-3 4,135 - 1 2 0
3-1-3 4,171 4,172 2 2 0
3-1-3 4,189 - 1 2 0
3-3-3 4,199 - 1 2 0
3-1-3 4,222 - 1 2 0
3-1-3 4,230 - 1 2 0
3-2-3 4,507 - 1 2 0
3-3-3 5,758 - 1 2 0
3-1-3 5,837 - 1 2 0
3-1-3 6,103 6,104 2 2 0
3-3-3 6,200 - 1 2 0
3-3-3 6,633 - 1 2 0
3-?-3 7,649 - 1 None 1
3-3-3 15,703 - 1 None 1e
3-?-3 16,040 - 1 None 1
3-3-3 17,111 17,620 10 4 0
3-3-3 17,611 17,630 20 4 0
3-3-3 17,641 17,650 10 4 1
3-3-3 18,901 18,910 10 4 1
3-3-3 18,921 19,000 80 4 5
3-3-3h 20,701 20,710 10 4 0
3-3-3i 20,706 20,710 see above4 1
3-3-3 20,712 20,730 18 4 1
3-3-3 21,071 21,080 2 4 1
3-3-3 21,502 21,510 8 4 0
3-3-3 21,521 21,550 30 4 0
3-3-3 21,552 21,560 7 4 0
3-3-3 21,591 21,595 5 4 0
3-3-3 21,671 21,680 4 4 0
3-3-3h 22,451 22,460 10 4 0
3-?-3 23,962 - 1 None 1
3-?-3 23,971 - 1 None 1
4-3-3a 21,561 21,580 19g 4 4
Note b 23,458 - 1 4 0
4-3R-3c 23,461 23,480 20 4 3
4-3R-3 23,921 23,930 10 4 1
4-3R-3 24,301 24,310 10 4 1
4-3R-3d 24,331 24,340 9 4 0
4-3R-3 24,512 24,520 18 4 0
4-3R-3 24,531 24,540 10 4 0
4-3R-3 24,911 24,920 10 4 0
4-3R-3 24,921 24,940 20 4 1
4-3R-3 24,949 - 1 4 0
4-3R-3 24,951 24,960 10 4 0
4-3R-3 24,981 24,990 10 4 0
4-?-3 25,921 - 1 None 1
4-?-3 25,948 - 1 None 1Notes to Table 14:
a: Only nickel finish lot with Mershon's regulator
b: Price listed for movement # 23,458 is $128.00
c: First Reed's patent regulator lot with nickel finish; three Cole's escapements found in this lot: S#'s 23,469, 23, 471 and 23,476
d: # 24,331 is $135.00 ; #24,337 is $88.00
e: confirmed by visual inspection of actual watch, or a visual image thereof
f: S# 3,367 is not rayed, and S# 3,369 is not listed as being rayed
g: S# 21,563 is listed in the ETDB as being gilt
h: grade determined based on price, rather than written description
i: S# 20,706 has a 16th jewel on the top plate, under the Mershon's regulator.