Roamer (watch factory)

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Roamer AG

logo
legal form Corporation
founding 1888
Seat Wallbach AG
management Christian Frommherz
Branch Clocks
Website roamer.ch

The Roamer AG (brand name Roamer of Switzerland ) is a watch manufacturer based in Wallbach in Switzerland.

history

Depending on the source, the company was founded in 1885 or 1888 by Fritz Meyer in Solothurn , Switzerland. At first, components of clockworks were manufactured, starting with cylinder escapements . From 1904 full clockworks were produced. From 1907, in addition to inexpensive movements with cylinder or pin lever escapement , clockworks with lever escapement were also manufactured. Within 20 years sales grew to over 500,000 watches. From 1905 the company produced movements under the name “Meyer & Stüdeli” ( caliber designation MST), from 1923 cases and later also dials . From 1952 Roamer to the main brand of the company and the company was in Co. Roamer Watch renamed. At that time, 3,000 watches were being made every day. At times, up to 1200 people worked in the watch factory and the company generated sales of CHF 43 million. In the 1950s, Roamer produced wristwatches with an alarm function , with the calibers MST 417 and (from 1957 with) MST 427. From the 1950s onwards, movements from other manufacturers were installed in addition to their own movements.

The first quartz movement was manufactured by Roamer in 1972, but this could no longer stop the company's decline in the wake of the quartz crisis . In the mid-1970s, Roamer was also hit by the watch crisis and the company had to initiate inheritance proceedings in 1975 .

Long-time employee Marcel Leval bought the brand from the estate and continued to manufacture Roamer watches with a few employees using components from other manufacturers. In 1993 part of Roamer was taken over by the Cung Nam Watch Group from Hong Kong and was subsequently managed by her. In 2009 the Aargau watch entrepreneur Christian Frommherz acquired the majority in Roamer. Since 2013, Roamer has been developing movements again.

  • Meyer & Stüdeli MST 41

  • Roamer Premier (1961)

  • Roamer Anfibio

  • Gold-plated pocket watch from Roamer (1966)

Web links

Commons : Roamer  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Jewelers 'Circular Company: The Jewelers' Circular . 1929. p. 80.
  2. ^ A b Leonhard Beitl: Alarm on the arm . ISBN 978-3-200-01646-0 . P. 671.
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Michael Philip Horlbeck: The wrist alarm clock . Heel, 2001. ISBN 978-3-898-80003-7 . Pp. 129, 130.
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h Andreas Toggweiler: A revitalized tradition: the Solothurn watch brand Roamer is 125 years old , Solothurner Zeitung , April 21, 2013.
  5. ^ Leonhard Beitl: Alarm on the arm . 2009. ISBN 978-3-200-01646-0 . Pp. 378-380.
  6. ^ National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors : NAWCC Bulletin. 2006. p. 270.

Coordinates: 47 ° 33 '32.5 "  N , 7 ° 54' 13.5"  E ; CH1903:  635 007  /  two hundred sixty-seven thousand six hundred and ninety-three