The American Howard Watch and Clock Co. (E. Howard & Co. ) introduced, c. 1870, their weight-operated timepieces, Nos. 6-10. The cases were made of polished black walnut, and the configuration of the case design has led collectors to refer to these as 'figure-8' models. These were all timepieces with recoil escapements. They were superior to the general run of contemporary Connecticut clocks, and much more accurate timekeepers.