I · The Clock/II · The Design/III · The Collector's Piece/IV · Acquisition
Room I · The Clock
Eighty years on the same desk
Roamer was founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1888 and spent the first half of the twentieth century building a reputation for precision movements at a fair price, watches and desk clocks that people trusted rather than bought for show. This desk alarm clock from the late 1930s or early 1940s sits squarely in that tradition: a well-made, unflashy Swiss object that has spent more than eighty years doing exactly what it was designed to do.
Room II · The Design
A dial that shifts from rose to copper in the light
The case is square brass, lacquered gilt, in a clean Art Deco format. The lines are architectural rather than decorative, straight edges, a flat back, a small drum housing the movement, and the whole thing sits low and stable on its original rubber feet.
The dial is the standout detail. The copper-toned salmon lacquer catches light differently at different times of day, shifting from warm rose in direct light to something closer to burnished copper in shade. It carries the Roamer name and the Swiss Made stamp, both still cleanly legible after more than eighty years. Arabic numerals mark the hours; a small alarm-set ring sits within the main dial.
The dial is the standout detail. The copper-toned salmon lacquer catches light differently at different times of day, shifting from warm rose in direct light to something closer to burnished copper in shade. It carries the Roamer name and the Swiss Made stamp, both still cleanly legible after more than eighty years. Arabic numerals mark the hours; a small alarm-set ring sits within the main dial.
Room III · The Collector's Piece
Open the back, and the balance wheel is running
Open the case back and the movement is fully visible. The balance wheel is running and active, the alarm works, and both the timekeeping and alarm trains function correctly. A proper mechanical clock, running as it was built to.
Caseone honest fault
Very Good
Square brass gilt frame clean and undamaged from the front. Lacquer lifting on the upper rear of the movement drum, consistent with age. Base plate and all rubber feet intact.
Dialone honest fault
Very Good
Warm copper/salmon tone with honest age patination. No chips, cracks or losses. Roamer and Swiss Made signatures remain clear and legible.
Movementone honest fault
Very Good
Running well. Timekeeping and alarm both confirmed functioning. Balance wheel visible and active through the open back.
Crystal
Excellent
No chips, cracks or losses.
- Case
- Brass, gilt lacquered
- Dimensions
- 73.7 x 65.9 x 39.2mm (H x W x D)
- Movement
- Manual wind mechanical alarm
- Movement material
- Brass
- Dial
- Metal, lacquered (copper/salmon)
- Numerals
- Arabic
- Complications
- Alarm
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Marks
- Swiss Made (stamped on dial and case back); Roamer signed on dial
- Era
- Art Deco, c.1938-1945
The Estate Collection
Room IV · Acquisition
€750
We'd love to discuss this piece with you.
Roamer
€750
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Roamer Alarm Clock, c.1940
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