DESCRIPTION:
APW - E. Howard & Co, Boston, Series IV, 15J, N-S (just over 19S), very heavy 14K gold (tested) drum style "H.M. & S." Philada HC with misleading crowned "18" hallmark, case has been modified from an original KWKS form to its present SW-LS style, gold cuvette, white enamel SS dial, blued umbrella style hands, mvt was originally finished as KWKS but was modified post-production to SW-shifting-LS form via an Abbott's conversion attachment, rayed pattern nickel damascene, s#30723. Gross weight of assembled watch 98.5 dwt (153.2 g). A rare watch, the total production of Series IV movements finished by Howard as keywind-keyset with nickel damascene is believed to be approximately 400 made. This example though, like a portion of others from this original production, has at some point later in its existence been equipped with an Abbott's conversion attachment for modification to stem-wind and lever-set form.
CONDITION:
Mvt: Running, excellent cosmetic mvt condition overall, bright plates with few scattered micro-fine scratches, few pinprick nicks scattered to balance cock, some marring to and around balance jewel setting, few specks of oxide to steel escutcheon around barrel arbor, missing a dial foot securing screw adjacent serial number, one mismatched case screw, barrel stopworks components are missing; dial with fractures and associated faint hls between 2 and 3, small flake at seconds-register hole; fine hands, minute with slight bend; case with evident modifications (addition of a stem and winding crown assembly secured by detent screw in reverse of case pendant, cuvette with plugged winding/setting apertures and subsequent decorative finishes applied to cuvette surfaces) associated with its post-production conversion to stemwind form, case with one ambiguous semi-circular mark to its inner rear lip (located close to the present mvt's case screw nearer pendant) that may be a witness mark from having held another mvt at some time, case shows ample wear, mild ding to upper perimeter of front which is more evident to inner surface of lid, reduced engraving detail with some full loss at shoulders, wear exposing some very small slivers of visibility to front lid planchet seam in areas, case front opens slightly less than 90 degrees, cuvette with wear and loss to its exterior perlage finish; tight bow is thinned at top, brass crown shows ample wear; glass crystal with conchoidal edge chip at 9:30.
ESTIMATE:
$2600
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$3200
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