Enjoy Watches

Brand history & owner guide

E. Howard Watch & Clock Company

This is a real Howard manufacturing company name, formalized in 1881. Jones’s documented 1860s service belongs to the earlier Howard operation, so the supplied employer label is retrospective. 12

This profile covers the maker’s identity, history and documented work. A complete model catalogue is being researched separately.

At a glance

Subject
Historical Business 12
Documented work
Series VIII movement 1

Which Howard company employed the founder of IWC

RailsWest distinguishes Howard Clock & Watch Company in 1861, Howard Watch & Clock Company in 1863, and E. Howard Watch & Clock Company from 1 December 1881. IWC’s history states that Jones joined E. Howard & Co. after the Civil War and became factory superintendent before travelling to Europe in 1867.

RailsWest dates the watch-name transfer to Keystone to 1903 and distinguishes the continuing clock operation from new Keystone watch designs. 12

The work and why it matters

This is a real Howard manufacturing company name, formalized in 1881. Jones’s documented 1860s service belongs to the earlier Howard operation, so the supplied employer label is retrospective. Edward Howard and Charles Rice restarted the Howard watch business after the Boston Watch Company failure; Howard bought Rice’s interest in December 1858.

The 1881 corporation acquired the earlier plant; Howard served as president before retiring in 1882, followed by Samuel Little. Jones established the business that became IWC in Schaffhausen in 1868; that is a separate venture, not a Howard legal successor. 12

People, production and attribution

Howard’s Roxbury operation manufactured high-grade watch movements, regulators and marine clocks. RailsWest’s series table dates Series VIII to 1884 and describes an open-face, three-quarter-plate watch movement. 1

Ownership and continuity

The 1881 corporation acquired the earlier plant; Howard served as president before retiring in 1882, followed by Samuel Little. 1

Watchmakers and designers linked to E. Howard Watch & Clock Company

These people have a sourced relationship to this brand in the Enjoy Watches register. The label beside each name states the relationship recorded; it should not be read as a broader employment or ownership claim.

Identification and service

For an individual watch, record the complete reference, serial, dial, case, and movement markings and compare them with dated primary documentation.

A brand history cannot authenticate, appraise, or establish the provenance of a particular watch.

Evidence and limits

How the claims are supported
  1. verified fact

    This is a real Howard manufacturing company name, formalized in 1881. Jones’s documented 1860s service belongs to the earlier Howard operation, so the supplied employer label is retrospective.

  2. verified fact

    Edward Howard and Charles Rice restarted the Howard watch business after the Boston Watch Company failure; Howard bought Rice’s interest in December 1858.

  3. verified fact

    RailsWest distinguishes Howard Clock & Watch Company in 1861, Howard Watch & Clock Company in 1863, and E. Howard Watch & Clock Company from 1 December 1881.

  4. verified fact

    The 1881 corporation acquired the earlier plant; Howard served as president before retiring in 1882, followed by Samuel Little.

  5. verified fact

    IWC’s history states that Jones joined E. Howard & Co. after the Civil War and became factory superintendent before travelling to Europe in 1867.

  6. verified fact

    Jones established the business that became IWC in Schaffhausen in 1868; that is a separate venture, not a Howard legal successor.

  7. verified fact

    Howard’s Roxbury operation manufactured high-grade watch movements, regulators and marine clocks.

  8. verified fact

    RailsWest’s series table dates Series VIII to 1884 and describes an open-face, three-quarter-plate watch movement.

  9. verified fact

    RailsWest dates the watch-name transfer to Keystone to 1903 and distinguishes the continuing clock operation from new Keystone watch designs.

Known limits

  • Which 1902–1903 instruments distinguish organization, name purchase and production cessation?
  • Specialist summaries use different milestone dates; this record attributes the 1903 date rather than treating it as a directly inspected deed.
  • What are Jones’s exact appointment dates and legal employer name?
  • The role is supported by retrospective IWC history, not a Howard personnel file.
  • This identity dossier is not a complete catalogue of every watch or reference.

Direct sources

  1. E. Howard & Co., Roxbury, MARailsWest / DigitalNetExpress · specialist history with catalogue references · accessed September 15, 2026

    Locator: E. Howard & Co. L57–69; Keystone L70–75; clocks L76–81; production-series table L94–121. External source.

  2. Florentine Ariosto Jones — Founder of IWCIWC Schaffhausen · official founder history · accessed September 15, 2026

    Locator: Biographical paragraphs on post-Civil-War employment at E. Howard & Co., superintendent role, 1867 passport and 1868 foundation. First-party source; its statements remain attributed.

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