# Strap For An Old Roamer



## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

I have acquired a Roamer Quartzmatic on its original leather strap.

The strap needs replacing and I would like to reuse the original signed buckle.

The strap tapers from 24mm at the watch to 12mm at the buckle and I do not seem to be able to find one that tapers this much.

Any suggestions where I can get one?


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## Roamer Man (May 25, 2011)

That's a helluva taper, the nearest I've come to that is 20 down to 18!


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

Roamer Man said:


> That's a helluva taper, the nearest I've come to that is 20 down to 18!


Exactly, small buckles are no longer fashionable and to be honest I wouldn't be bothering except that I have the original buckle.

I have not found anything from 24 to less than 20.


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## Roamer Man (May 25, 2011)

There again, it's not impossible to fashion you're own custom strap?


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

I was thinking that might be the only way to go


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## Roamer Man (May 25, 2011)

Dr_Niss said:


> I was thinking that might be the only way to go





Dr_Niss said:


> I was thinking that might be the only way to go


I've thought about that now and again, but I know from experience that stitching leather properly requires a special kind of sowing machine (i.e. a very strong one). Hand stitching is a nightmare - even with thin leather, unless you've got saddle-makers gear. I'm sure I've I've seen articles on watch strap making somewhere..?

You might know somebody who can help with it?


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## Roamer Man (May 25, 2011)

BTW Dr_Niss, I was really impressed by your Roamer collection. In particular I'd appreciate a close up of that MKV with the red dial. Any chance, pretty please?


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

Roamer Man said:


> BTW Dr_Niss, I was really impressed by your Roamer collection. In particular I'd appreciate a close up of that MKV with the red dial. Any chance, pretty please?


This is the closest I have, I have expanded a bit since then but have not had time to photograph them all properly.


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## Roamer Man (May 25, 2011)

Thanks, but I could have sworn it had a red dial in the first photo - must have been a weird reflection! Now I see it's blue, it's near-identical to mine (but in far better condition. Grr..lucky sod, they are very rare, you know, where did it come from?). The Rockshell and Mark V has swopped places with the R symbol. How many more variants are there I wonder?


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

Roamer Man said:


> Thanks, but I could have sworn it had a red dial in the first photo - must have been a weird reflection! Now I see it's blue, it's identical to mine (but in far better condition. Grr..lucky sod, they are very rare, you know, where did it come from?).


It is deep red, honest!

It was one of the earlier ones I got off fleabay, I didn't realise how rare it was at the time.

All but the 2 I bought here and my original one bought for me as a teenager and the chrono I inherited from my father have been from there.


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

Found another one, face doesn't look so good close up


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## Roamer Man (May 25, 2011)

So, red it is! Or rather it looks more burgundy in this photo. Are those cracks in the glass or the dial, I wonder? Also I wouldn't mind if you give me the model numbers off the back, it having a different movement to mine? Just curious..

Cheers


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## trim (Sep 23, 2010)

The two to the left are the ones you are searching for. I have only ever found these 2, but at least you can copy them. These were very much 1972-4 period only. I can take some better photos if you need more detail.


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

Thanks Trim, those are very like mine and I have got the original strap to copy, it is just in no fit state to wear


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

Roamer Man said:


> So, red it is! Or rather it looks more burgundy in this photo. Are those cracks in the glass or the dial, I wonder? Also I wouldn't mind if you give me the model numbers off the back, it having a different movement to mine? Just curious..
> 
> Cheers


It says it's a 523 and the closeup is taken without a crystal in place so it is the dial


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## Roamer Man (May 25, 2011)

Dr_Niss said:


> Roamer Man said:
> 
> 
> > So, red it is! Or rather it looks more burgundy in this photo. Are those cracks in the glass or the dial, I wonder? Also I wouldn't mind if you give me the model numbers off the back, it having a different movement to mine? Just curious..
> ...


Aha.. a 523 movement, and very different internally from mine (a 482). What this means is that all the four surviving ones I've ever seen over the many years of searching are each probably unique , and to be treasured! I don't know what movement that one advertised on eBay has (the guy in Bankok), but I bet it's different again. So, altogether now...big smug grin.

I think I'll message him (S_iphon?) for the number off the back, also for Dave Sullivan's.

Pity about your cracked dial, but that can be fixed. So how's it working, and how's the crystal look? Looks like new to me. As you probably know these TV-shaped jobs were a one-off as far as I can tell. Mine could do with a new one, so I'm thinking I could make a mould to use in forming a replacement? Likewise with the silicon seal, I have an idea how to do that as well.

Sorry to go on so, but I do get a bit hooked..


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

how do you fix a cracked dial?

My seal was damaged so I cut a new one out of silicon sheet, it's not quite as thick as the original though and was a b****r to cut to shape.

The crystal is fine as the picture shows and it runs well.

I don't know whether I should tell you this but there's another Mark V TV from Hungary on eBay at the moment without the integrated bracelet and the R logo and writing are transposed. No picture of the back but I have asked the vendor for the details.


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

He/She says it is 620? but I don't know of a 620 calibre.

It does look as if the back has been polished so it might not be able to see any other numbers


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## trim (Sep 23, 2010)

Here you guys go, this is the catalogue when they first appeared, in 1972










From the 1976 catalogue. You will note that both MST522 (date) and ETA (day-date) movements are listed, so that accounts for the variations you are seeing. The 523 Day-Date movement was seen in earlier catalogues.










As for the Quartzmatic that was the original reason for this thread...


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## trim (Sep 23, 2010)

Dr_Niss said:


> He/She says it is 620? but I don't know of a 620 calibre.
> 
> It does look as if the back has been polished so it might not be able to see any other numbers


620 will be the case number, see advert above.


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

Thanks Trim, you really are the fount of Roamer knowledge


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## trim (Sep 23, 2010)

Dr_Niss said:


> Thanks Trim, you really are the fount of Roamer knowledge


No probs.

One other thing to clear up, Rockshell MK I through MK V were all produced at the same time and were different models, not different generations or years.


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## Roamer Man (May 25, 2011)

Dr_Niss said:


> how do you fix a cracked dial?
> 
> My seal was damaged so I cut a new one out of silicon sheet, it's not quite as thick as the original though and was a b****r to cut to shape.
> 
> ...


I can't see the Hungary one on eBay UK, do they have their own eBay in Hungary? Looking at Trim's catalogue it's the one top right, so is an entirely different case with a 522 movement. Now that's six worldwide, so far.

Anyway, about your dial. The dial restorers at Internationaldialco.com in Ohio seem to be OK, and very inexpensive. They just wipe the old finish off and start from scratch, but I'm not sure how they would cope with variations in shades. You could ask them first?

Didn't know you could buy silicon in sheets. I was going to form a sheet between two small glass plates with liquid silicon, and let it dry, then trim it up with a very sharp scalpel. Now I'll just google for sheets instead.

Thanks for the tip...


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

This is the strap I started the thread about


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## trim (Sep 23, 2010)

Oh boy. That is all kinds of horrible.


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

trim said:


> Oh boy. That is all kinds of horrible.


That's why I want to replace it


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