What makes a clock worth more than its weight in brass? For collectors of American horology, the answer often points to a single name: E. Howard. The E. Howard clock occupies a strange and fascinating place in the story of timekeeping. It is not a single model or a household brand like some competitors. It is a sprawling family of tower clocks, regulator wall clocks, marine timepieces, and precision instruments that came out of Boston in the nineteenth century and quietly set the standard for accuracy in a young, fast-growing nation.
Understanding this clock means understanding a company that built time for railroads, town squares, and observatories. It means knowing which pieces are rare, which are common, and how to tell the difference between an original and a marriage of mismatched parts. Whether you inherited a clock stamped with that familiar name or you are considering your first serious purchase, the details below will give you a working map of the landscape.
What exactly is an E. Howard clock?
The name traces back to Edward Howard, a Boston watchmaker who trained under Aaron Willard Jr. and later partnered with David P. Davis to form Davis & Howard. That firm evolved into the American Watch Company, and in 1842 Howard struck out on his own, eventually establishing what became E. Howard & Co. The company built a reputation on precision. Its early focus was on watches and marine clocks, but it soon expanded into the large regulator clocks and tower clocks that made the name famous.
So an E. Howard clock is, broadly, any timepiece produced under Howard’s name and later corporate identities. That range is wide. It includes:
- Tower and street clocks installed in church steeples, train depots, and town halls
- Regulator wall clocks with long pendulums, built for jewelers, telegraph offices, and factories
- Marine clocks designed to survive the roll of a ship and keep accurate time at sea
- Bank and office clocks used to coordinate business and rail schedules
That breadth is exactly why the term confuses newcomers. There is no single “Howard clock” to picture. Instead, there is a lineage of instruments, each built for a specific job where being wrong by a minute actually mattered.
The company behind the name
Edward Howard was a perfectionist in an era when that trait paid off. The mid-1800s were a period of explosive growth in American industry, and railroads in particular needed synchronized time. Before standard time zones arrived in the 1880s, every town kept its own local time, and a railroad running through several towns had to reconcile all of them. Companies that could build reliable, accurate clocks found eager buyers.
E. Howard & Co. rose to meet that demand. The firm became known for robust movements, high-grade materials, and a level of finishing that rivaled European makers. It produced clocks for observatories and government use, and its tower clocks became landmarks in communities across the country. The company went through several corporate changes over the decades, and the name appeared in different forms on different products, which is one reason dating a Howard clock requires care.
For collectors, that corporate history is not trivia. It is the key to authentication. The style of the signature, the movement design, and the case details all shift across periods, and knowing those shifts is how you separate a genuine period piece from a later reproduction or a clock assembled from spare parts.
Tower clocks: the public face of the brand
The most visible E. Howard clocks are the tower clocks. These were monumental installations, often built into brick or stone towers, with dials facing the street and a mechanism housed below in a clock room. They were engineered to drive heavy hands through wind, snow, and temperature swings, and they often struck bells that could be heard across a town.
Collectors prize these clocks for their size and for their place in civic life. A tower clock was a public promise. When the railroad said the train left at noon, the town clock had to agree. Communities took pride in their clocks, and many still do.
Practical note for anyone near a historic tower clock: maintenance is a serious commitment. These mechanisms need regular oiling, and the original installations often ran on weights that had to be wound by hand, sometimes daily. Many surviving tower clocks have been converted to electric winding or automatic regulation, which preserves the original movement while reducing the labor. If you are evaluating a building with a historic Howard tower clock, ask whether the original movement is intact and whether any conversion was done reversibly. Reversible conversions hold value far better than ones where original parts were discarded.
Regulator clocks and the pursuit of accuracy
Where tower clocks served the public, regulator clocks served the professionals. These were precision wall clocks with long pendulums and deadbeat escapements, designed to be the reference time for a workshop, jewelry store, or telegraph office. A jeweler setting watches needed a clock more accurate than the watches he sold. A regulator filled that role.
E. Howard regulators are prized for their clean, purposeful design. They were not decorative confections. They were instruments, and their beauty comes from that honesty: crisp dials, substantial cases, and movements built to run steadily for long stretches. Collectors often group them by dial size and case style, and the larger, more elaborate examples command the strongest prices.
A common mistake among new collectors is assuming that any wall clock with a long pendulum and a Howard signature is a high-grade regulator. In practice, the market includes a range of quality levels, and condition matters enormously. A regulator with a replaced dial, a mismatched pendulum, or a heavily modified movement loses much of its appeal. Originality drives value; age alone does not.
Marine clocks and the sea trade
Boston was a port city, and E. Howard built for the sea. Marine clocks were mounted in gimbals so they stayed level as a ship pitched and rolled, and they were built to resist moisture and vibration. These clocks were essential navigation tools in an era before reliable chronometers were cheap or common.
Marine examples appeal to a different kind of collector, one drawn to maritime history as much as to horology. The gimbal mounting, the heavy brass cases, and the compact dials give these clocks a distinct character. Because they lived hard lives at sea, surviving examples often show wear, and that wear is part of their story. Buyers should look for original gimbal hardware and be cautious of clocks that have been polished aggressively, since over-polishing can soften case details and erase the evidence that helps confirm authenticity.
How to evaluate and date a Howard clock
Dating and authenticating an E. Howard clock is where experience separates casual buyers from serious ones. The good news is that the clocks themselves carry clues. The challenge is that those clues require cross-referencing.
Read the signature carefully
The form of the name on the dial or movement is one of the strongest dating tools. Different corporate identities used different wording, and the lettering style evolved. A signature that looks “almost right” is a red flag. Compare against documented examples rather than trusting a single photo online.
Study the movement
The movement is the heart of the clock and the hardest part to fake convincingly. Look at the construction, the escapement type, and the finishing. High-grade Howard movements show careful machining and clean design. A movement that looks crude or generic beneath a Howard dial deserves scrutiny.
Check the case and dial for consistency
Cases and dials were sometimes swapped during repairs over a century of service. A period-correct dial on a later case, or the reverse, is common and not always a dealbreaker, but it affects value. Ask whether the components are original to each other.
Look for service history
A clock that has been serviced by a qualified horologist is worth more than one that has sat untouched for decades. Original parts that were replaced during service should be documented. Keep any paperwork.
Here is a quick comparison of the main categories collectors encounter:
| Type | Typical use | What collectors value most | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tower clock | Public buildings, depots | Complete original movement, dial originality | Conversions that discard parts |
| Regulator | Jewelers, offices, factories | Original dial, pendulum, and case | Mismatched or replaced components |
| Marine clock | Ships and navigation | Original gimbal and case finish | Over-polishing, missing hardware |
| Bank/office clock | Business timekeeping | Clean movement, consistent case | Later repairs with generic parts |
Common mistakes buyers make
A few pitfalls come up again and again in the Howard market.
First, buying on the name alone. The Howard name carries weight, and that attracts fakes and frankens. A signature is a starting point, not proof.
Second, over-restoring. A clock that has been stripped, re-brassed, and refinished to look new may actually be worth less than one with honest patina. Collectors value originality, and heavy restoration can erase it.
Third, ignoring the pendulum and weights. These parts are frequently lost or replaced, and matching them correctly is difficult. A clock missing its original pendulum is incomplete in a way that matters.
Fourth, skipping professional inspection. For any significant purchase, especially a tower clock or a high-grade regulator, an independent horologist’s assessment is money well spent. It is far cheaper than discovering a problem after the sale.
Finally, storing a clock badly. Pendulum clocks should be transported with the pendulum removed and the movement secured. Leaving a clock running in a damp, unheated space invites rust and gummed oil. A little care prevents a lot of damage.
Where Howard clocks fit in the wider collecting world
The E. Howard name sits at an interesting intersection. It is American, it is precision-focused, and it spans everything from monumental public works to compact marine instruments. That range means there is an entry point for almost any budget, though the top-tier pieces are genuinely scarce.
Collectors who also follow hair and beauty history sometimes cross paths with the same era’s visual culture, and the broader world of style writing occasionally touches on how period aesthetics get revived. If you enjoy seeing how vintage looks get reinterpreted, the way the row of trend cycles keeps circling back to older styles is a fun parallel. Texture and finish matter in clocks too, just as they do in hair typing guides that distinguish 4c hair from looser patterns, or explain what makes 2b hair behave the way it does. The point is that detail-oriented communities, whether they collect clocks or study hair, reward people who learn the specifics.
For clock collectors, that means joining a horological society, reading auction records, and handling as many examples as possible before spending serious money. Knowledge compounds.
Conclusion
The E. Howard clock is more than a collectible. It is a record of a moment when America decided that accurate time was infrastructure. Edward Howard’s firm built instruments for railroads, ships, jewelers, and town squares, and the surviving examples still carry that purpose in their design. For buyers, the path forward is clear: learn the signatures, study the movements, insist on originality, and get expert eyes on anything expensive. The name is a door, but the details behind it are what make a Howard clock worth owning. Approach the market with patience and curiosity, and these Boston-built timepieces will reward you with both beauty and history.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an E. Howard clock?
An E. Howard clock is a timepiece made by the Boston firm founded by Edward Howard, known formally as E. Howard & Co. The company produced tower clocks, regulator wall clocks, marine clocks, and office clocks from the nineteenth century onward. The name covers a wide range of instruments rather than a single model, which is why collectors treat it as a category rather than one product.
Are E. Howard clocks valuable?
Many are, but value depends heavily on type, condition, and originality. Tower clocks and high-grade regulators with original movements and dials command the most interest. Common office clocks are more affordable. A replaced dial, missing pendulum, or heavily modified movement can reduce value significantly, so professional inspection is wise before any major purchase.
How can I tell if a Howard clock is authentic?
Start with the signature, since the wording and lettering changed across corporate periods. Then examine the movement for the quality and construction typical of the firm. Check that the dial, case, and movement are consistent with each other. Comparing against documented examples and getting an independent horologist’s opinion are the most reliable steps.
What is the difference between a tower clock and a regulator?
A tower clock is a large installation built into a building, driving dials on the exterior and often striking bells. A regulator is a precision wall clock with a long pendulum, used indoors as a reference timekeeper for jewelers, offices, and factories. Both were made by Howard, but they served very different purposes and are collected for different reasons.
Should I restore an antique Howard clock?
Restore function, not appearance. Mechanical servicing that keeps the clock running is worthwhile and should be documented. Cosmetic over-restoration, such as aggressive polishing or refinishing, often lowers value by erasing original detail and patina. Keep any replaced parts and paperwork, and choose a horologist experienced with antique American clocks.
How should I transport or store a pendulum clock?
Remove the pendulum and secure the movement before moving the clock. Carry it upright and avoid jolts. For storage, choose a dry space with stable temperature, since dampness causes rust and gummed oil. Have the clock serviced before running it again after a long period of disuse, and wind it gently according to the maker’s design.
