Knowing manufacture year

[FestungSpanien]

Hello
Is there anyway to know when a Hensoldt Wetzlar bino was manufactured according to its serial number?
Thanks
Ace

[Sgt Bilko]

I don't know if anyone has a list but it's possible to estimate dates against serials if you can find one with a date marked - ie Swedish binos usually have dates on;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-HENSO...-/111614868452

So we know that 441476 was made around 1940. And the monocular 543378 was made around 1942;

http://www.monocular.info/hens6x30sw.htm


So my Rumanian Hensoldt 8x30 516845 must have been made 1941 - 42 ish. That's how I estimate - but a list would be better!

[Mikedenmark]

Good point about the swedish one´s. I never thought of that as a dating source.
I am not sure it is 100% foolproof though.
But the serial number is definitely not from far before the engraved year.
The years may designate actual year of purchase, but also model year, or year of contract.
This means a contract could be filled with binoculars in store, or be filled up to 1-2 years later than a contract year.
Maybe binoswede can help here ?

[FestungSpanien]

Thanks guys
So I guess there's no list and it's tough to date them

[Mikedenmark]

The Hensoldt family and the Hensoldt company has a lot of material.

But only minor and older sections has ever, to my knowledge, been published.

Besides, why is a date important? I look up dates on the Zeiss bino´s I get, but I am aware that it is basically a pastime issue to me. The singular date on a bino is rarely of any consequense.

It´s just fun to do the look up.

[Binoswede]

Thank you, Sgt. Bilco for your trust in my Swedish countrymen.
I for my part would not trust the year markings on the Swedish binoculars to much.
An example: The binoculars you mention marked 1942 were ordered in 1941. The deliveries were executed in the years 1941 to 1944. I can document that. Who came up with the idea to mark them all 1942,I don´t know.
This was a huge order of almost 28 000 bi-and monoculars so one can understand that it took some time.
In the case of smaller batches the the dating might be more precise, but I have seen cases of binoculars "lying on a shelf" in the factory and sold and marked years later.

[FestungSpanien]

It's just out of curiosity and after all we of course do it for fun as it is our hobby.
I have what I consider is an early brass Hensoldt Wetzlar binos and wanted to date them to check if they would fit in the Reichwehr or are post 1935.
If anyone can help Serial number is 219721 and they are dienstglas marked but have no H/6400 marking so I guess they are pre WW2

Besides, why is a date important? I look up dates on the Zeiss bino´s I get, but I am aware that it is basically a pastime issue to me. The singular date on a bino is rarely of any consequense.

It´s just fun to do the look up.

[Sgt Bilko]

It was just an idea for an estimate Binoswede - if only everyone had records like Zeiss.

Talking of Zeiss - my Swedish issue Zeiss Silvamar is marked 1942 and the serial dates it to one of a batch made 9/41. So it proves your point - many thanks.

[Mikedenmark]

When I was in Wetzlar last month, where incidently Mr. Binoswede was as well , I asked about the Leitz records. They do have records, and I was told they were in the process of being digitalised.
When I asked if the files/books were accessible, a german gentleman looked at me incredulously, and showed with his hands how much space those records filled.
I had to admit, it would take more than an extended afternoon to look into them.
He had looked into them himself, so he had hands on experience with them. One detail he gave me was, that the large WWI Leitz binoculars only appeared in the books in 1917. Not before.
Making me speculate about the battle of Jutland in 1916 and the consequenses drawn by the german navy.

Point here is, records exists, both for Hensoldt and Leitz ( and Voigtländer ) . But there is no money in publishing them, and the companies exist to sell, not to cater for us rather poor collectors.
( You just try a day at Leitz, then come back and tell me you feel rich.)

My hope is that someday, we will get access in a way not too burdensome for the companies and at a sufficiently detailed level to be of interest to us.

[FestungSpanien]

Ouch

[Mikedenmark]

No need to "ouch", Leitz DO care about us poor people. They have very nice binoculars, in hip colours, selling for only 432 Euro.
They WERE nice, really, but I can buy a similar configurated bino for about 20 euro in the local supermarket. No Leica logo and probably bad optics, but it would do the job, for me at least.
I can see Leitz cater for a different customer segment.