In response to a question I had about an aluminum gear train on a Howard watch, I received the following reply. I think this is so much hooey. Does anybody know if any watch maker seriously made aluminum gear trains?
"I've had a number of Howard watches and noticed the difference in gear trains between movements in earlier vs. newer Series 0 and 10 gear trains. Even when owned by Keystone, the Howard Co. was innovative. A watch gear train is best made from a softer metal such that it breaks in easily so to speak and runs smoothly. Aluminum was an experiment by Howard and worked great!"
Posts: 803 | Location: Knoxville, Tennessee in the USA | Registered: September 02, 2009
Well, if you factor in that at the turn of the 20th century aluminum was considered an EXTREMELY valuable precious metal, it makes sense they'd try to use it as a gear metal in a high end movement like a Howard. That's the same reason they usually gave for gold geared trains too.
Regards! Mark
Posts: 3832 | Location: Estill Springs, Tennessee, USA | Registered: December 02, 2002
In Howard's time the aluminum used was basically PURE aluminum. To that end, it would have the properties desired, but the wear issue was in great question. I have no idea if Howard actually did that.
Posts: 6492 | Location: Southern California in the USA | Registered: July 19, 2007
Didn't Chas. DeLong invent an aluminum pallet fork?Aluminum for train wheels sounds like a disaster looking for a place to happen, plus it corrodes easily. Best regards, Ted.
Posts: 1323 | Location: Lebanon, Connecticut USA | Registered: March 28, 2008
Here is shot of a Keystone Howard with an aluminum? gear train. The gears are certainly not made of gold or brass. White gold is probably what they are made of, but who knows for sure....
Posts: 352 | Location: Scottsdale, Arizona USA | Registered: November 25, 2002
David is right as usual. I have a bit of background in metalurgy; but like most dominantly ferous metals. With those its not just alloying its heat treatment as well. With aluminum is all about alloying, and most things we see are in fact aluminum alloys which range widely in mechanical and electrical properties. Pure aluminum is a very ductile material (like aluminum foil). Again I'm a novice at watches, but my understanding is that a key in their design was the interplay between steel and brass. If they did do the experiment and mixed pure aluminum and steel gearing, the outcome was probably not as good as they hoped.
I've studied machine design for 45 years and, when I started studying pocket watches about 5 months ago, I was frankly amazed at the skills in design and material selection exhibited there. Like automakers they were also driven to do things purely for marketing (e.g. adding jewels of very limited functionality) which departed from keeping it simple and effective. This would suggest that such an experiment was likely performed...anything to differentiate you from others in a competitive market.
Gary
Posts: 586 | Location: Bastrop, Texas in the USA | Registered: January 22, 2011
Any real watchmaker with accent on that second syllable will tell you the best of later Howards were not only on a par with the top offerings from other American companies, they often surpassed them. If you ever have a chance to look-over an "Edward Howard" you will have nothing but respect for what they were capable of manufacturing. Their higher grade watches continued a tradition of high quality the name Howard implies and they did it at more affordable prices than previously in order to be competitive.
On the white gears, I had just always assumed they were white-gold as the use of both rose and yellow was what other companies used on their premium movements and brass was common on lesser grades. It would be in keeping with Howard practices to do something "different" looking and if I were a betting man which I am not, my money would be on these being white-gold. I agree that aluminum was something new and special in those days but unlikely it would be used in such a critical application.
Lindell
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
will tell you the best of later Howards were not only on a par with the top offerings from other American companies, they often surpassed them. If you ever have a chance to look-over an "Edward Howard" you will have nothing but respect for what they were capable of manufacturing. Their higher grade watches continued a tradition of high quality the name Howard implies and they did it at more affordable prices than previously in order to be competitive. 
