DESCRIPTION:
APW - E. Howard & Co, Boston, Series VI, very rare keywind variant, 15J, G-S (a pendant watch, just over 6S), 18K gold OF original case marked for retailer Woltz Bros. & Co. (of Toronto, Canada), rear with very attractive engraving detail of the Royal Coat of Arms of Canada (the seven-province version is depicted, this being the style used between 1874 and 1915), gold cuvette, white enamel SS dial, umbrella style hands, KWKS (key not included with this lot), gilt mvt, s#100085. Gross weight of assembled watch 40.7 dwt (63.3 g). A notable rarity among early E. Howard & Co. production, it is believed that at most 80 examples of the keywind version of the G size were made. Per Howard factory records these were produced between 1874 and 1876 with this production comprised of an initial block of 60 examples from serial numbers 100001 to 100060, and followed by a block of 20 examples from serials 100071 to 100090, with the intervening sequence of 10 serial numbers from 100061 to 100070 noted as "Destroyed." The present watch is particularly notable for the presence of its very attractive original gold case and is among only a handful of examples known with original case. At the time this watch was exhibited at the 2002 NAWCC National Seminar: "Boston: Cradle of Industrial Watchmaking," held in Boxboro MA, it was noted that it was one of only three keywind G-S known with original case. The case of this particular piece is very appealing for its distinctive Canadian character, with marking for a Toronto retailer within the case and with the engraving to the rear of the case of the Canadian Royal Coat of Arms. Although the present piece is a pendant watch, we have chosen to present it here among our American pocket watches category rather than within the smaller pendant watch category due to its appeal to E. Howard & Co. collectors.
CONDITION:
Mvt: Ticking sluggishly, overhaul recommended, fine cosmetic mvt condition overall, main plate with some surface spots and fine scratches, mild oxide to winding arbor escutcheon; dial with small flakes to rim of seconds-register hole, otherwise virtually flawless with tiny edge nick under bezel at 9:30; nearly mint hands; case shows very little wear, two small nicks to band at 4, excellent engraving detail; tight bow, push shows very little wear; good glass crystal.
ESTIMATE:
$6000
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$12000
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