Roamer

 By Bruce Shawkey

I like to champion the lesser known watch brands. Collectors can have lots of fun without spending lots of money, and this has always been my mantra. One of those brands is Roamer. Roamer was founded by Fritz Meyer in Solothurn, Switzerland, in 1888. The company originally concentrated on manufacturing cylinder escapements.Within only seven years, the company grew to sixty employees and started producing complete watches.

In 1895, the company developed its first own caliber and named it "Number 38" to commemorate Meyer's 38th birthday. In 1905, Meyer joined fellow watchmaker Johann Studeli to form the partnership Meyer and Studeli. 

By 1923, production grew to one million units. The jeweled lever-escapement watches were sold under the brand "Roamer". Cylinder, and later pin-lever, watches were sold under the brands Medana and Meda.

In 1945, a representative office opened in New York City and in 1952 Meyer and Studeli officially changed its name to Roamer Watch Co. SA. In 1955 Roamer patented the Anfibio watertight watchcase, which proved to be a not only a commercial success, but was approved for military use by several countries.. 

The company survived the Quartz Crisis of the '70s, and today Roamer is a leading Swiss watch company, known for its high-quality, precision timepieces. The company continues to innovate and create new designs, while staying true to its heritage of quality and craftsmanship.

Let's look at some Roamer watches over the years:

Here are some ads for Roamer and watches over the decades:

Here is an ad that boasts Roamer watches. are "The most sold waterproof watch in the world."

And another ad claiming Roamer watches are one of the most desired brands in the world:

The watch shown in the ad is a basic manual wind with sweep seconds hand. It claims to be waterproof, but of course these were the days before the Federal Trade Commission clamped down and made watch manufacturers change to "water-resistant."

Here are some more images of Roamer vintage watches.

Some additional Roamer images: