Brief History: E. Howard Watch Company
Roxbury (Boston), Massachusetts
December 11, 1858 - 1903
Edward Howard, undoubtedly one of the most respected names
in the history of American horology, started the Howard Watch Company after
the failure of the Boston Watch Company (1853-1857). His goal was to produce
watches of the highest quality using interchangeable machine-made parts. 
With
his financial partner, Charles Rice, Howard moved the tools, machinery and
watches "in progress" from the defunct Boston Watch Company to their
Roxbury factory in late 1857. During their first year of operation, the
machinery was retooled for the production of a new watch of Howard's design,
and the remaining Boston Watch Company movements were completed. These
movements were signed "E. Howard & Co." on the dials and
"Howard & Rice" on the movements.
By the summer of 1858, Edward Howard produced the first watch of his own design, a watch that was entirely different from previous watches. The top plate was made in two sections and had six pillars instead of the usual four found in a full-plate watch. This watch also introduced the more accurate quick-train to the American market. Balances were gold or steel at first, and later bi-metallic compensating balances with gold screws were used. Reed's patented barrel was used on early watches, but by 1868, Howard patented a new steel motor barrel which replaced the Reed's barrels in Howard watches. Howard also introduced the first stem-winding watch in 1868, and was probably the first to market such a watch in the USA. The manufacture of key-wind movmeents was discontinued altogether by 1878. Howard was first to use the Reed patented micrometer regulator, and was the first to offer watches adjusted to six positions.
Sizes of Howard watches were designated using the Dennison system of measurement (see table below). By 1869, Howard had progressed from the "N" size movements (approximately 18-size) to the smaller "L" size movements (approximately 16-size). Howard dials were always made of hard enamel, and bore the name " E. Howard & Co., Boston."
Edward Howard retired in 1882, but his company continued to sell watch movements in grades and styles established by Howard until 1903. In 1902, the company transferred all rights to the "Edward Howard" brand name to the Keystone Watch Case Company (see below). Keystone manufactured a line of watches signed "E. Howard Watch Co., Boston, U.S.A." on the movement.
Howard Watch Company
Approximate Serial Numbers and Dates