Edward Howard (1813-1904) began his career as a clock maker but found the smaller work of watches more suited to his mechanical aspirations. With the help of his partner, Aaron L. Dennison, and in spite of the prejudice against American-made watches (watchmaking did not exist as an industry at this time) they founded America's first watch factory for their firm, called "The American Horologe Company" in 1850. The convoluted history of Howard's subsequent career, involving company name changes, partnership changes, numerous financial reorganizations and, even, "the treachery of those in his employ", is better explained in Time and Timekeepers chapter XXI (by Willis Milham, New York, 1941). Suffice it to say that Edward Howard strove to make the best watches in America and, when able to work under his own management, his achievements fulfilled that ambition.

Mr. Edward Howard retired in 1882. Watches made under his name from 1902 to 1930 were actually produced by the Keystone Watch Co. and were normally marked "E. Howard Watch Co., Boston".

The "Edward Howard" was a superb series of watches made by the master technicians of the Keystone firm. There were fewer than 300 of these high grade chronometers produced and each is slightly different due to the painstaking handwork involved.