Roamer Mst372 Movement.

[Maurice]

Aha!  Cousins have them in stock go on their website and enter this 

Code: MST3712271

[nad]

Geo you have my admiration, just taken me the whole of the Saracens v Saints game and more to get the wheel bridge back on my MST 372. (Spares sourced from a scrapper found on & won on the bay for £2 result ...)

Far longer than my first movement an MST 401 last week.

[Geo]

Geo you have my admiration, just taken me the whole of the Saracens v Saints game and more to get the wheel bridge back on my MST 372. (Spares sourced from a scrapper found on & won on the bay for £2 result ...)

Far longer than my first movement an MST 401 last week.

I wasn't joking when I said it was tricky! Well done for managing it NAD. :)

[clockwatcher]

Finally, the pictures that I said would follow! I had to wait for the watch to arrive and then I was away for three days so came home to this in my mail.

 

 

The thing that attracted me most to the watch was the dial.

 

 

The Breveté case system is interesting and attractive too.

 

 

 

Of course, the movement was the dreaded MST 372, which meant that my comment to Geo about avoiding them went straight 'ootra windae'!

 

All that's missing is the crown/stem.

 

Also in the post was a dial/movement from a later Roamer, an MST 452 15 jewel job, had for the usual pocket money. Dunno what I'll do with it but it'll be a good practice piece. The crown/stem is present but is neither winding nor adjusting. Haven't yet investigated.

 

 

[ro63rto]

Nice dial. Like it a lot!

My Rotopower 44 (MST436) in Brevette case also came without two part stem and crown. Finally found a stem in Italy and crown in Portugal.

[nad]

Nice one clockwatcher, have a super shock that I've just got running myself.

Good luck with the repair.

[clockwatcher]

Thanks fellas!

 

I really like these patterned dials. I was prompted to dig out the first watch that I bought after I got the bug (as opposed to those that I'd bought over the years for daily wear), a Melbun watch with a 25 jewel Felsa HM 1560 movement. That was bought on the strength of the dial but as a non-runner. I have learned a lot since buying it and considering it a junker so I took another look inside and gently removed and replaced the balance cock. This did the trick as she started to tick, and is doing so as I write after 30 minutes.

 

It's another one that needs a stem but I have the stub of the old one that had broken off in the tube. I hope that finding a crown and stem for the 372 movement won't be as hard as you discovered Nad.

[Geo]

I might be able to help you with the stem Clockwatcher. I'm going out shortly but will have a look when I get back home.

[nad]

You sure that the stem has broken?

If it's a "water proof" case it's probably got a split stem so it may be just a case of getting a crown with female part of stem. (See Cousins etc ...)

[WillFly]

Ah, I love these early Roamer watches - that dial is very sweet.

 

You often see Roamer watches advertised on eBay as "Breveté" models - when all that "breveté" means is "patented", in French. The serial numbers on the outside of the case back indicate the variations on the movements over the years, and this is useful in dating the watch. I recommend this excellent reference site:

 

http://roamer-watches.info/gallery.shtml

[clockwatcher]

Geo, I appreciate that. Thanks.

You sure that the stem has broken?

If it's a "water proof" case it's probably got a split stem so it may be just a case of getting a crown with female part of stem. (See Cousins etc ...)

Nad, the broken stem was in the Melbun watch. :-)

Thanks for the link Will. A useful resource that will hopefully grow.

As you'll all have seen, one of the hands needs reluming. I'm half tempted to leave it as is though because matching the new lume with the old might be tricky. Also has anyone any idea about what material the numerals and stars (love the stars) might be? Lacquered brass, gilt, Sta-brite? If I can clean them they'll look stunning.

[clockwatcher]

Woohoo! Look what I won last night!

I'm sorry if any of you was bidding but I had to have this to go with my manual winder.

 

 

 

 

[clockwatcher]

Can you guess what I'm going to show you next?  :biggrin:

 

Along with the Rotopwer in the preceding post I've been expecting two bitsas to arrive from another seller.

 

I was pleasantly suprised with the Rotopower as the online seller's pictures didn't really do the dial justice. I'd had some doubts about how crisp it would be but the crystal was very well scratched and mostly hid a very good, clean dial. The second hand is mobile and the hands are setting fine. It doesn't appear to have been out of its case for an age and I'm currently soaking the whole thing in lighter fluid to soften the crud that's preventing me from removing the case from the frame.

 

The two bitsas are MST 372s each missing the pallet and with one having a well-mangled hairspring and the balance pivots gone. The other seems fine although the balance wheel and hairspring have been removed from the cock. There were two cases, one crystal and no frames. There is a good pair of hands, though the lume has completely gone.

 

The nice thing from my point of view is that there two more dial designs, one with a different, open centred design of vertical wibbly-wobbly raised lines that look a bit like basketwork. This has unfortunately had all the paint removed but the alternating numerals and batons are there, as is the applied Roamer name. It'll provide an opportunity for me to have a go at refinishing - unless anyone has a better idea. I'm open to suggestions and advice! The other, illustrated below, has a pattern of concentric waves with an open centre.

 

As you can see it's lacking the hour hand but that, or another pair, shouldn't be a problem to source. My shopping list is fairly short - two pallets, one balance wheel and hairspring (I think that straightening will be beyond my capabilities even if it were feasible), three crystals, though I'll have a go at polishing those I have, a pair of hands, and a bottle of lume. Oh, and gaskets for the split stem crowns. I've yet to inspect the innards of the automatic but fingers crossed! Any sourcing advice would be welcomed but I'm hoping that Cousins will have the necessary.

 

 

 

Reattaching the balance/spring units to the cocks will test my mettle but I need the experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[clockwatcher]

As a brief addendum to the last post, I have an update on the Rotopower.

 

As said, I have it sitting face up in a jam jar lid with lighter fluid in it up to just below the stem tube. I've put a bit of cling film over the top to stop the fluid evaporating and have swilled it about a bit to try and get the fluid to penetrate the cack between frame and case.

 

I just went to the kitchen to make a cuppa and gave it another swill. Blow me, it's running! Sitting there, paddling in lighter fluid, has oviously cheered it up. If the fluid has seeped into the movement it'll be like a little washing machine in there.

 

Cool huh?

[Geo]

Now that's a first for this forum! B)

[clockwatcher]

Update on Rotopower.

 

After practically ruining my thumbs trying to get the Roamer case out of the frame, and considerable rumination on the matter combined with Geo's technical input, the blighter's given in!

 

I sat the watch on my electric heater for 15 minutes, until it was toasty, and then took it to the kitchen. A quick squirt of Lidl's finest kitchen cleaner gave every appearance of penetrating between frame and case. I then cobbled up an arrangement of an adjustable spanner, a flat carving fork and my crystal press. A gentle squeeze and ..... bingo!

 

I know this all sounds implausible, if not downright vandalistic, but I swear it's true.

 

This is what I removed from inside the frame.

 

Here are the two dials for comparison.

 

 

Here you can see the extra depth of the automatic's case.

 

 

I have one question about removing the Rotopower from the case. It is reluctant to slip out, presumably due to the extra depth of the movement fouling on the case as I tilt it. Do I need to remove winding tube before removing the movement to allow the stem a bit more room?