# Roamer Case



## roamer_ca (Feb 2, 2012)

Hello,

I have a Roamer (Brevete) watch from the early 1970's (Waterproof, Automatic, Stainless steel back). It was a gift given to me when I visited Europe (when I was a kid). The watch still runs.

The case was damaged a long time ago (and was probably thrown out). It was a metal case (not Gold).

I am trying to restore the watch. I'm having trouble finding parts in Montreal. I've never seen Roamer watches sold here.

I've shown the watch to some local watchmakers. They haven't been able to find the case I need. They did give me some funny feedback. ie. "... the guys that made these are all dead" and "...it's Swiss".

Can anyone recommend places that sell cases (online)?

The glass is also scratched. Is it possible to get a replacement glass?










Option B is to bring it along on my next trip to Europe. Are there any good places that will sell me parts in London, Paris, Rome?

Thanks.


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

You will find a lot of Roamer info here http://roamer-watches.info/

The Swiss company is long gone, to be honest I would look for cheap non runners on fleabay for a new case

Cousins do sell some spares though on line


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## Roamer Man (May 25, 2011)

You'll be able to find whole watches of this type on eBay fairly easily. I can't tell from your picture exactly what you've got there, but it looks like a Type 2 BrevetÃ©-case. It looks like a really nice dial, so I'd have a go at buying one from eBay just for the case. You'll need to check the type of case and it's outer diameter (excl. crown). They are usually 33-35mm. Can you remember what the case looked like? Early 70s cases were usually 'cushion' shaped.

The trouble is finding one that's not corroded underneath the chrome, but if it's 1970s vintage there's a good chance it'll be OK. I've 'restored' a few really old ones by removing the chrome and just polishing up the nickel case underneath. You might want to try this (search here for recent 'case restored/restoration' topics).

On the other hand, if you see an old worn out gold-plated case, you can always remove the remaining plate, and have it re-chromed or re-plated in gold if the dial suits it? Ideally there'll be one sold for spares/repair - but with a good case. These go for about Â£15, and RePlateIt right there in Canada will do a nice job for you for a very reasonable price.

Replacement glass could be a problem with these waterproof models (I've got four which I can't get new glasses for), but a good polish up with Polywatch will usually do the trick. If it's actually cracked then you may have a problem.

The trick with glasses is to make a positive identification of the model number from the Roamer parts list, then see if they're available. The number should be engraved on the back if it's 1970s so It's plain sailing, but if not you'll need to dig a bit. You'll need to find the MST movement number and case type and diameter, then from this you should be able to find the right model number from the parts list. Note that genuine Roamer glasses are very expensive (Â£25), but Sternkreuz do equivalents for about Â£6. Cousins.co.uk are about the only place you'll get them and you can download a copy of the parts list from them.

Good luck..show us a picture when you're done


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## Roamer Man (May 25, 2011)

I struggle to remember the shape of my first Roamer in 1968, so I just thought your memory too might need a jog. I'm guessing the case was something like this..?










This one is 35mm. You should find the model no. on the back which follows the format XXX-XXXX.XXX. In this instance it's 471-1230. 601. MST movement is the first number, second is case material, third is case shape. You'll need this to get a new glass. I've got a new one on order for this, supposedly arriving in stock in April.

My watch repairer has just sorted out the canon pinion on this one for me, now it's running like a dream, but next I need to do something with the case.

I really don't like the way the factory finished the top, and the plate is well worn on the horns, so I'm agonizing what to do with it. I don't really want to depart from original, but I hate that coarse finish, whereas the sides of the case look really good in high polished gold, so I'm thinking to polish off the top to match and then replate.

Purists will shrink in horror at this!


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## roamer_ca (Feb 2, 2012)

It was not that style of case like you posted Roamer man. I haven't seen it in so long though. I only dug up the watch recently. I took an interest in restoring it after reading about the company's history.

I took a higher resolution picture. The picture still appears small though. Or will it be better after I post?










I'm not sure what the writing on the front all means.

What is the meaning of "IN CABLOC"?

21 rubis means 21 jewels?

"anfibiomatic" in a hand written style appears below the Roamer name & crown, just under the number 12. What exactly does this mean?

Thanks for all the info and the tips. I'll look into Polywatch for the glass. It looks like the glass is scuffed and not actually broken or cracked.


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## trim (Sep 23, 2010)

This is a MST 420 automatic, with 21 jewels. This style is from the mid(ish) 1950s, and will have had a case with lugs like these:










For some reason my gallery is missing all watches from this period, although I do own a number of examples.

The main problem you will have is being an automatic, the case is much thicker/deeper than the manual calibres, and you will need to find a 420 as a donor.


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## Roamer Man (May 25, 2011)

roamer_ca said:


> I'm not sure what the writing on the front all means.
> 
> What is the meaning of "IN CABLOC"?
> 
> ...


So, it pre-dates 1970. That makes more sense from the old-style of dial. The incabloc is a make of shock protection system used to stop the delicate balance wheel pivot from shearing off under lateral impact - moveable sprung jewel bearings. The 21 Rubis refers to the synthetic rubies used for such bearings, and at other points of high wear, wheel pivots, escapement fork, balance wheel etc. Anfibio is the name used on many Roamer models. It's a foreign word meaning waterproof.


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## roamer_ca (Feb 2, 2012)

Trim, that's the closest I've seen to my watch. Mine must be some updated style. The seconds hand on the watch is identical with a red arrow. The numbers and the face are slightly different. The case looks about right except that it was metal (chrome?) and not Gold. Even the leather matches. My leather is dried out and feels like paper. I have to see if that can be restored that too.

I've seen some Roamers online referred to as Military watches. One was similar to yours (and mine) Trim. What defines a Roamer as a military watch? Does it have any markings?

Thanks for all that useful info Roamer man.


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## trim (Sep 23, 2010)

roamer_ca said:


> 've seen some Roamers online referred to as Military watches. One was similar to yours (and mine) Trim. What defines a Roamer as a military watch? Does it have any markings?


Roamer made a lot of 'military style' watches, particularly in the late 1940s through early 1950s when this style was popular. These would be better described as sports watches, as they were centre second, water and shock proof.

In terms of real military watches they were not a specific supplier to any forces during WWII, although there has been the odd German flieger watch from the 1930s and an unverified WWII DH watch (mine). The only well known, verified and obtainable issued Military Roamer were the RA marked Anfibios from the mid 1970s used in the Rhodesian civil war.

As for finding a bezel, as I said, you'll have to look for a donor MST420 - these do come about every so often.


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## Alex11 (Jun 8, 2012)

Roamer owners club membership is free by the way everyone!


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