Remarks: Meyer and Studeli SA (MST) had been in business since
1888, mostly producing cylinder movements. This is the first
known ROAMER wrist watch calibre, featuring a jeweled Swiss
lever, compensated balance, and three finger train bridge. The
hallmarks date this movement to 1918. It is not identified in
the available Roamer documentation, but most major features:
train pivots; balance cock; barrel, crown, ratchet centers; dial
pins; and lever, line up precisely with the MST175 along with
signed dials. However, it exhibits a much more traditional
sinuous Swiss bridge design than the later MST 175. Differences
include the bridge design, many of the plate screws, and the
setting and motion works (due to the centre pin clutch rather
than a cannon pinon clutch). One final comment on the setting
works, the design is very similar to that in the smaller, later
calibres: the 202; 251; and 253, it also bears a resemblance to
the 18 ligne 154 and the 19 ligne 195. The family resemblance
can be no coincidence. The 13 jewels are in the normal places,
except the lever piviot isn't jeweled (which would bring it to
15). The movement is unsigned.
I had initially hoped to
match the movement to calibre number by finding a close match
based on mainspring or staff size. However - the only early
calibres from the 12-14 ligne range are some 12.5 ligne clyinder
movements numbered 41, 49, 59, 60 and 91. To list it on this
site I need a calibre number, and as the number is lost in the
mists of time I have arbitarily decided on MST 157. There is a
little logic behind this, based on the number ranges used and
where the gaps are.
|
