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A very rare Rhodesian Army issued Roamer Anfibio, Military Watch, Model Reference: 520-1120 016

This issued watch from Roamer bears quite an interesting back story that involves the military and smuggling. During a civilian conflict also known as the Zimbabwe War of Liberation between 1964 & 1979, major sanctions were put on the country preventing the import of certain luxury goods such as watches to the open market. The military called on their South African allies to supply watches to them for them to use in combat situations. These Rhodesian issued military Roamers were engraved with Z, ZA, SFA, or RA markings, and here we have an RA marked watch (RA2476) not previously seen on the market or forums!

Roamer was founded in Solothurn, Switzerland, in 1888 by Fritz Meyer. At first, Meyer and his employees concentrated on manufacturing cylinder escapements. By 1923 production of watches had grown to 1 million units and in 1972, the company had launched its first quartz movement. In 2003 the brand had relaunched and in 2013 launched a limited edition to celebrate their 125^th Anniversary called the Stingray Chrono Diver. Roamer is also a member of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH.

What’s On Offer

The watch on offer here is a great example and shows signs of use during its years in service with a nice patina. The lume on the dial and hands has slightly discoloured but is still in fantastic looking condition and still glows under a UV light and although the dial lume doesn’t hold its charge for long the hands still do which is brilliant. The overall look of the watch exudes the character you would expect from a military issued tool watch. Still crisp and very legible. The logo on the dial also remains crisp and sharp and the same can be said for the hands and model designation at 6 o’clock. The shape of the case flows nicely towards the lugs and gives a sense of robustness and a sense of purpose. Teamed with a nice NATO or leather strap, this watch makes for a real conversation piece based on its history and background. From a historic manufacturer that is well known in collecting circles, this issued example is quite exciting as we have never owned a Rhodesian, issued watch ourselves before this as they rarely come to market for sale. Inside the case beats the cal. MST 520 that came, both with and without a hacking feature, and this is the 'none hacking' version as confirmed by the legendary military watchmaker John Senior who recently serviced the watch! So rest assured the watch is in perfect running condition since its return from John.

Additional information

Made from 

Case:  Stainless Steel

Dial:  Original Black

Crystal: Plexiglass

Bracelet: New NATO style Strap or New Leather Strap

Technical specifications

Winding: Manual

Movement Type: Mechanical hand wound

Caliber: MST 520

Jewels: 17j

Waterproof: When new

Power reserve: Approx. 56hrs

Purchase details

Condition: Excellent - 8/10 

Model Reference Number: 520-1120 016

Date of issue: c.1970’s

Guarantee: Serviced and with 12 months VWS Guarantee

Dimensions

Width (without crown): 35mm

Lug width: 20mm

Lug height (lug to lug) 41mm

Bracelet Size: Adjustable strap