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Howard Wristwatch - The Real McCoy . . . Sort of "Click" to Login or Register 
Hamilton WW Expert
IHC Life Member
posted
Regarding Howard Wristwatches - I don't know if Howard actually ever made wristwatches but if they didn't, these Hamilton/Howard's are just about as close as you can get to the real McCoy. I've posted a picture below of an example along side its movement.

Hamilton purchased the goodwill and trademarks of the E. Howard Watch Company in 1931, three years after the purchase of the Illinois Watch Company in 1928. Although never active in the manufacture of "Howard" watches, Hamilton did produce a very small quantity under the "Howard" brand name and conducted tests in the market for this once famous timepiece.

Apparently, the test results did not weather well as Howard wristwatches were never placed in full production. This rare Howard wristwatch was the first Howard series made by Hamilton in an effort to protect Hamilton's trademark rights to the "Howard Watch Company" name. These wristwatches were distributed by select wholesalers to jewelers. Once supplies were exhausted, no other Howard examples were made with the exception of 51 14K solid gold examples which were cased in Hamilton's Pierre cases in 1942 and 1,021 examples which were sold in Hamilton Stanford cases in 1946.

This particular example used a redesigned Hamilton 980 17-jewel movement which was renamed H 980 ("H" for "Howard" wristwatch). The movement is identical to the Hamilton 980 series with the exception of its heavy satin damaskeening on the base plates and the circular damaskeening on the crown and barrel wheel.

The Howard case is a duplicate of the 14K Wadsworth Hamilton Seneca model that was introduced in 1935 and came with a Hamilton 982 (the first generation to use the 19-jewel 982 movement).

Howard and Movement
 
Posts: 80 | Location: Carlstadt, New Jersey U.S.A. | Registered: January 23, 2005
posted
Now I'd be very happy to have this watch co-exisist with my E.Howard PW's Big Grin


Dave Freeman
IHC Member 321
 
Posts: 976 | Location: Texas in the U.S.A. | Registered: January 27, 2004
IHC President
Life Member
Picture of Lindell V. Riddle
posted

I too am nearly speechless Will, thanks for sharing this rare beauty and its history with all of us!

Wink
 
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
IHC Vice President
Pitfalls Moderator
IHC Life Member
Picture of Edward L. Parsons, Jr.
posted
Very classy watch Will, and thanks for sharing that fascinating bit of horological history too! Smile


Best Regards,

Ed
 
Posts: 6696 | Location: Southwestern Pennsylvania, USA | Registered: April 19, 2004
Hamilton WW Expert
IHC Life Member
posted
Thanks Guys:

The pleasure is all mine. I have posted a picture below of a later Howard that was housed in a 14K gold-filled Wadsworth Hamilton Stanford case. The case, movement and dial are all marked Howard. Only 1,241 were sold and they were released in 1946. It is the more common of the Howard wristwatches produced by Hamilton.

An interestingly side note - Hamilton produced Illinois wristwatches as well. These examples were actual (well, kinda "actual") Illinois wristwatches that were introduced prior to 1943 and subsequently, well before Hamilton released the "Hamilton Illinois" wristwatch brand of the 1950's. The "Hamilton Illinois" wristwatch of the 1950's was released as a less expensive brand in an effort to compete in the low priced wristwatch market without impeding on Hamilton's prestige branding. In other words, the brand allowed Hamilton to compete in a market they would normally not be able to. The earlier Illinois wristwatches were not released with the intent to garner sales but like the Howard, were released to protect trademark and branding rights that Hamilton owned.

Howard - Stanford
 
Posts: 80 | Location: Carlstadt, New Jersey U.S.A. | Registered: January 23, 2005
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