# Roamer watches- Thoughts?



## mrzee (Jun 22, 2012)

I've been looking at a Roamer Superior Moonphase Watch but wanted to get your thoughts on the brand as I do not know much about it.

Good, bad or indifferent. Thanks in advance all.


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## Graham60 (Nov 2, 2018)

I like Roamer, have six of their watches all are Good quality IMO, don't have the Superior Moonphase though. Have two of the standard Superior (ETA quartz movement) and really like them.

Found this information videos of Roamer on youtube, must have close links with Swiss Military as well. First video seems to be in their old place, 2nd one is their newer place they moved into a 4/5 years ago.


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## enfuseeast (Oct 19, 2018)

don't know much about "the new" roamers ..... but the brand/company has long history ..... and used to produce it's own "in house" (MST) movements.... with various patents attributed....

http://roamer.ch/brand/history/

here's one of mine



:thumbsup: keeps excellent time .... must be 60 years old or so


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## JonnyOldBoy (Mar 28, 2017)

I have only seen their Searock watches and for the money : PROS - Good bracelet , great styling and fairly accurate for a non chronometer. Case finishing awesome with no signs of micro stressing near any curve points and very consistent finish. CONS - watches still feel a bit flimsy for me ( like Certina ) when compared to Longines for example. Also quality control is not always spot on with Roamer so make sure you have the dial details perfect and no mis-aligns or tiny bits of production consumables lurking. Finally the crystal I saw was OK but not the best for the money, a bit distorting at some angles. .... All in all a very nice looking watch and pretty spot on for the money. So can recommend , just from the one watch I have inspected in detail... :thumbsup:


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## odyseus10 (Jan 26, 2012)

I thought they were partly Chinese owned these days? I did buy one a year ago it was OK but not great for a so called Swiss made watch and so I sent it back

http://xflive.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?/topic/106424-roamer-watches-being-made/&do=embed


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## Jet Jetski (Feb 10, 2019)

thanks - I was interested to read this info - I will be looking for a moonphase too, at some point. Cheers.


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## mrzee (Jun 22, 2012)

Thanks all, if I'm honest it is a simple fact that my interest in moon phase watches comes and goes so I'm looking to buy one in the cheap seats.


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## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

mrzee said:


> my interest in moon phase watches comes and goes


 You'll find interest will peak again around the 21st of this month 

It's like a worm eating away at you ?

:tongue:

:thumbsup:


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## Nigelp (Jan 28, 2015)

I can't help with the modern ones, but i did have a roamer mustang electronic, which must have been rare as i have not been able to find another, unfortunately the movement was shot and the dial and case poor, so it was deemed unworthy of restoring by Paul (silverhawk) way back in 2012. I'd like to find another. It had an amazing case design with split stem and solid back, all lifting from the front. (front loader).

[IMG alt="Image result for roamer mustang electronic watch" data-ratio="75.00"]http://roamer-watches.info/features/MST916/2/medium-2.jpg[/IMG]


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## JonnyOldBoy (Mar 28, 2017)

odyseus10 said:


> I did buy one a year ago it was OK but not great for a so called Swiss made watch and so I sent it back


 The trouble with these "middle ground" watches is that they struggle for "Great" .... its a crowded theme park....


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## odyseus10 (Jan 26, 2012)

JonnyOldBoy said:


> The trouble with these "middle ground" watches is that they struggle for "Great" .... its a crowded theme park....


 Indeed, average watch in a big flashy box. Far better for the OP to buy say a Longines, Maurice Lacroix, Certina etc IMHO


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## KAS118 (Mar 2, 2014)

I quite like Roamers - and they have a long history.

They're a bit of a 'left field' choice - and IMHO all the better for it.


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## mrzee (Jun 22, 2012)

odyseus10 said:


> Indeed, average watch in a big flashy box. Far better for the OP to buy say a Longines, Maurice Lacroix, Certina etc IMHO﻿


 I totally agree and if money were no object, I'd be wearing a Longines Master Moonphase right now.

Interesting that you mention Maurice Lacroix mind you as the brand have never been on my radar. The Certina's are also very nice but more than I wanted to pay when just dipping my toe sp to speak.


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## odyseus10 (Jan 26, 2012)

mrzee said:


> I totally agree and if money were no object, I'd be wearing a Longines Master Moonphase right now.
> 
> Interesting that you mention Maurice Lacroix mind you as the brand have never been on my radar. The Certina's are also very nice but more than I wanted to pay when just dipping my toe sp to speak.


 Like all watch purchases, check out all the usual online jewellers and also see what "vouchers" or discount codes are available.

For example, How about this Maurice Lacroix Moonphase beauty at HSJohnson?....

https://www.hsjohnson.com/watches-c123/mens-watches-c116/maurice-lacroix-el1108-pvp06-112-1-mens-eliros-moonphase-wristwatch-p12906

Bargain at £329??


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## Francis Urquhart (Jan 11, 2017)

Vintage Roamer - yes please. Modern - not so much.


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## ZenArcade (Aug 17, 2016)

Vintage ones, very good on par with many other vintage Swiss brands of the day though there seem to be a lot of dodgy ones for sale these days, dont know if this is because there was a bit of a spike in interest in vintage ones a few years ago or not? Modern ones, as above large box containing very average watch thrown together looking very much like your high street special.

I would look at Citizen, Seiko, Tissot, Hamilton.... for similar money.


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## JayDeep (Dec 31, 2016)

A little accurist quality no? Maybe Invicta too? A bunch of copycat stuff.


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## Bricey (Apr 7, 2021)

JayDeep said:


> A little accurist quality no? Maybe Invicta too? A bunch of copycat stuff.


 I had, and kept for a good few years, this Roamer Stingray II.










The quality was far closer to the likes of my Maurice Lacroix Pontus and Raymond Weil Freelancer I had at the time than anything I've personally had from Accurist or Invicta.

I felt it was a fairly unique look too, not taking obvious cues from other watches or brands that I was aware of.

The bracelet was awesome too, a bit too chunky ultimately for me, but excellent quality.

I'll always have a bit of a soft spot for Roamer because of this watch, it really was a lovely watch.


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## JayDeep (Dec 31, 2016)

Bricey said:


> I had, and kept for a good few years, this Roamer Stingray II.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Honestly, never even heard of them until I was here. Still don't, other than here. So maybe more like Steinhart or Davosa, but still a bunch of copycat crap with a few half original mixed in between... at best.


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## artistmike (May 13, 2006)

Bricey said:


> I'll always have a bit of a soft spot for Roamer because of this watch, it really was a lovely watch.


 I agree, Roamer are one of the good guys, an old established honest company with their own style and ethic and I see that these days they are offering seven year warranties, which shows a real confidence in their products. :yes:


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Never had a modern Roamer, but I've had several original ones. The Super King was my favourite. Steve Burridge did a good job looking after them, after he retired I moved them on.


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## Bricey (Apr 7, 2021)

JayDeep said:


> Honestly, never even heard of them until I was here. Still don't, other than here. So maybe more like Steinhart or Davosa, but still a bunch of copycat crap with a few half original mixed in between... at best.


 I'm not sure where the "copycat crap" feelings come from, I don't know of any watches they do that appear to be deliberate or close reproductions of other brands or models. I've always though that they twend to go for "fairly standard looking watches" with a few "slightly different, original designs".

And they have a long and established history behind them as a company:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roamer_(watchmaker)?wprov=sfla1

Examples of the standard (boring/generic/etc...whatever term you prefer) watches would be things like their 'Classic Line' and 'Searock' watches:




























Whilst they have models like the Stingray III, Mustang, and Soleure, that are a little different to the standard fare (in my humble opinion):




























The quality of their watches, straps/bracelets, dials, finish, and even the boxes (yeah, I know, it's my affliction!) have always impressed me.

They also have a huge back catalogue of vintage watches (such as today's WRUW entry by Mr @Karrusel) that surely set them apart from recent homage brands by some distance.

I am firmly in the "Roamer Good!" camp here.

Even their old Diver Watches tended to not follow the usual blue print too closely.









You may not like their styles, you may disagree on their quality, but I don't see how they are particularly copycat beyond having a few watches that are so standard that pretty much every established brand has knocked out something similar.

The case for the defence rests :laughing2dw:


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## Daveyboyz (Mar 9, 2016)

Roamer are the good guys. I too am only familiar with their old stuff and not their new but even if their new stuff was terrible (and I am not saying it is) they would have to really mess up to destroy their previous good reputation.


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## JayDeep (Dec 31, 2016)

Bricey said:


> I'm not sure where the "copycat crap" feelings come from, I don't know of any watches they do that appear to be deliberate or close reproductions of other brands or models. I've always though that they twend to go for "fairly standard looking watches" with a few "slightly different, original designs".
> 
> And they have a long and established history behind them as a company:
> 
> ...


 Sorry I was confusing them with Rotary, also something I'd never even heard of until I came here.


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## Perlative Cernometer (Jan 1, 2018)

JayDeep said:


> Sorry I was confusing them with Rotary, also something I'd never even heard of until I came here.


 Not your fault, you're just the wrong side of the Atlantic there :tongue:


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## Bricey (Apr 7, 2021)

JayDeep said:


> Sorry I was confusing them with Rotary, also something I'd never even heard of until I came here.


 Ah, Rotary, copycat is somewhat more fair there. They have produced something that looks like pretty much everything else that ever made it into production.

I have to admit I have a soft spot for them to, they were my entry into watches and allowed me to try shapes and styles that I recognised when I couldn't even consider being able to afford a nice photo of the real thing.

I think that they do have some nicer models that are a little above their budget options and also that they have a long history and some vintage pieces that in their day stood up well against the brands they would have been competing with, but they seem to very much aim at the mass market through catalogues like Argos and the high street jewellers now in the main.


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