At 44mm, this Roamer Competence La Grande is not a particularly discrete watch. The model name La Grande translates as “The big one”, and it uses the tried & true pocket-watch Unitas 6497. Of course there are bigger, thicker, and more in-your-face watches out there, and this one carries off its generous curves with the bold character of one of those old-time jazz-singer ladies with a husky voice. And while I’m in the musical imagery mood, the dial is reminiscent of a vinyl LP record : matte black centre with very finely grooved outer third, showing off polished faceted indexes and beautiful Dauphine hands. It’s an 11mm thick case, polished with brushed lugs.

After seeing the Roamer Competence La Grande in a magazine I hunted it down and bought her in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia when I was there for work in 2004, exactly 16 years ago tomorrow, and I consider that the official start of my watch collecting slippery slope. I remember being thrilled with that big manual-wind movement on display with stunning “Cotes de Geneve” stripes and blued screws, and still find it cool even though there’s nothing apart from “swiss” and “17 jewels” on the bridges. Pretty basic. At around $600 (after obligatory haggled discount) it struck me as pretty good value, and that feeling has not diminished. People often mistake it for a more expensive brand (Zenith, usually).

Roamer is an old brand founded in Solothurn in 1888, the date of which is proudly engraved on the crown. In the 1920s it had 1200 employees, producing over a million watches, but that has scaled back as with many lower-to-mid-tier brands. It’s one of many small lesser-known brands with pre-war heritage, and to me this particular model represents that best. The case back rim is marked 30m, which I take to mean 30m away from the edge of the pool. There’s been slight oxidisation/dulling of the hands, which I’ll repolish one day.