12 Size Waltham Bridge
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This watch is an example of the smaller size and is also one of those movements that appears to have been caught in the transition from E. Howard & Co. to the E. Howard Watch Co. (Keystone Howard). This example is engraved rather than stamped E. Howard Co. Note that this is different from either E. Howard & Co. or E. Howard Watch Co. and might be thought of as a compromise between the two. Judging from the "H" prefix serial numbers, it appears that Waltham produced both the 1894 12 size Bridge Model and the 1899 16 size Bridge Model under the contract with E. Howard & Co. However, the record of sales of the 12 size to E. Howard & Co. has not been found. Although no Waltham documents have been found, there are listings in the E. Howard & Co. watch records of 12 size watches that must have come from Waltham. These numbers range from 816,351 to 816,390 (and are from the Waltham run 11516301 to 11516390 open face). There is a large gap in the numbers just before this range and the example shown here falls in the gap with the serial number 816,084 (with an H prefix on the watch). The corresponding Waltham serial number is 11,516,084 in a recorded run of 60 12 size hunting case Bridge Models from 11,516,051 to 11,516,110 which would be H816110. All the Howard serial numbers from 803,731 to 806,350 are missing from the records. It is possible that all the watches from both of these runs of Waltham 12 size Bridge Model were actually made for Howard. Perhaps someone has a Waltham marked example from these runs. The dial may or may not be original to the watch, but was with the movement when purchased. The case was taken from another lower grade 1894 model Waltham.
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