I just finished a complete COA on my Howard No.10 and can say without a doubt this is the finest watch I have ever been into. I am a Elgin nut but will be keeping this guy. I would rank it above my Veritas 23j and 23j BWR anyday.
Dont walk by thses guys. They are nice.

Aaron

Lindell,

Nice pictures of the Howards. Could you please, next time, make sure the seconds hands are aligned the same.....

John Pavlik

While we are talking about Keystone-Howards, does anyone know when or on which movement this dial might have been used? The script signature suggests it was fairly early (ca.1905) and the bold Roman numerals, 13-24 numbers and full marginal numbers suggest, to me, that it may have been for British railroad use.

Although it can't be said they were as highly "refined" as many of the various contemporary "prestige models" (such as the Waltham "Riverside Maximus," etc.), overall, the "Series 0," "Series 5," and "Series 10" models compare favorably with contemporary BW Raymonds, Waltham VanGuards, Hamilton 992s, and all other "standard" American railroad watches.

Unfortunately, Keystone Howards typically retailed for about 20% more than their competitors' equivalent models, and their market share suffered accordingly. As an eventual consequence, the company introduced the "Series 11 Railroad Chronometer," which was designed to retail at a competitive price, and the result was predictable; it's the worst and most cheaply constructed model the company ever produced.

A cursory comparison of a Series 11 Railroad Chronometer with contemporary New York Standards will immediately reveal where its "innovative" design was developed. Basically, it's a glorified NYS, which isn't half the watch its predecessors were, and it stands as an almost unique example of the de-evolution of a fine old American brand.

Although the essence of quality in most late-model American watches is a mere shadow of what it was in the earlier models, at least it can be said that the later models did incorporate a few technical advances. The same isn't true of the Series 11 Railroad Chronometers; those were just cheaply made watches that sold only on the merit of the company name.

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Steve Maddox
Past President, NAWCC Chapter #62
North Little Rock, Arkansas
IHC Charter Member 49