I am working on a 12s Howard 23 jewel & I have a question about the jewel locations.
I notice on the 16s it shows different locations for the 22 & 23 jewel such as the motor barrel or banking pins.
The one I am working on has the jeweled banking pins & since the book doesn't mention the different locations of the jewels for the 12s did they all have the ruby banking pins.
Thanks Tom
Posts: 5107 | Location: New Mexico in the USA | Registered: January 27, 2007
They sure took some strange paths in effort to pumping up the jewel-count didn't they? But seriously, the later Howards have been under-appreciated by watch collectors for far too long. It is nice to see your interest in them.
Looks like a nearly untouched example, right down to the stamped code inside the case-back. We will probably never know what it originally meant but finding it still on the case after all these years is remarkable.
Thanks for sharing the images!
Lindell
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
Thanks for the comments, I am amazed too at the locations they put different jewels at, I also try to imagine them making the parts & then putting them together. I know if I were to try to attach jewels to banking pins I would get 1 out of every 100 in place. I guess I would last to long in the factory.
Tom
Posts: 5107 | Location: New Mexico in the USA | Registered: January 27, 2007
I was thinking that the stamp may have been a service mark by a thoroughly modern watchmaker. Who knows. Sometimes the questions are more interesting than the answers!
A most beautiful and interesting watch, Tom. Thanks for sharing it.
This is an old thread, but Tom, I was wondering if the jeweled banking pins you photographed in the first message above came from a 23j, 12s, Howard? Or did it come from a 16s Howard?
Mike
Posts: 803 | Location: Knoxville, Tennessee in the USA | Registered: September 02, 2009
Well I think the powers that be should at least create another line in the fat book for 23j, 12s Howards that have ruby banking pins - unless they all have ruby pins. This is what they did for 16s, 23J Howards (SOME of which have ruby pins, and some of which do not).
Posts: 803 | Location: Knoxville, Tennessee in the USA | Registered: September 02, 2009
I just checked 3 - 23j, size 12 Howards. They all have ruby banking pins, and the barrel arbors are not jeweled. So it makes sense that if the winding arbor is not jeweled, something else has to have 2 jewels if they are going to call it a 23 jewel movement.
Posts: 803 | Location: Knoxville, Tennessee in the USA | Registered: September 02, 2009
Jewel banking pins-the ultimate "smokestack" jewels! Nice Howard, Tom.Not being a watchmaker, I've always wondered if a lot of those type pins got broken off during repair work.They'd have to be pretty fragile. Best regards, Ted.
Posts: 1323 | Location: Lebanon, Connecticut USA | Registered: March 28, 2008
Tom. A very nice job, you must be proud of this little beauty, I'v not really looked at Howards untill now. I will be looking out for them in the future when looking for new projects, thanks for sharing this one. Regards Ian.
Posts: 39 | Location: Nottingham in the United Kingdom | Registered: October 14, 2010