Heer Zeiss Marineglas 6x binocular

[Theodor]

Hi guys, this is my new toy, a Zeiss Marineglas 6x binocular, complete with eyepieces lid, neck strap and brown leather box. Can you tell me, is it a military issue? I believe so, because a range finding line is seen through it. If military, in which years was it used?

[Enigma]

Hello

If it has a grid/reticle it is quite certain it was military issue. It is made around WW1 and the serial number will tel you when.

Kind regards

Enigme

[John HS]

Hi guys, this is my new toy, a Zeiss Marineglas 6x binocular, complete with eyepieces lid, neck strap and brown leather box. Can you tell me, is it a military issue? I believe so, because a range finding line is seen through it. If military, in which years was it used?

Dear Theodor,

The Carl Zeiss Marineglas is a model which was used by Navies and the Mercantile Marine as its name implies, but it is my belief that some were purchased by private civilian users. Not all of them have the "Benutzer" or rain/spray eyepiece shield (what you call the eyepieces lid). The Marineglas uses the same optical formula as the Carl Zeiss Silvamar, which model was current from 1910 until 1975. It may be that binoculars of this type were called Silvamar without the graticule, and Marineglas with it, but this is only surmise on my part; I can't state it as a fact. The graticule gave an indication of the distance away of an object of known size, but you have to know the basis of calibration of the graticule and how to interpret what it shows.

There was a centre-focus version of Silvamar called Silvarem, also made from 1910 until 1975, but this was an exclusively civilian model.

As to when your Carl Zeiss Marineglas was used, this would be determined by its serial number; WW1 is very likely.

Data on Zeiss binocular serial numbers is at http://www.europa.com/~telscope/zeissbin.txt

Information on when various models were produced is at http://www.europa.com/~telscope/zeissbn2/txt

According to the latter site the Carl Zeiss Marineglas was first made in 1915 but I am not sure about this because the example I possess has the serial no. 339273 dating it to 1913 and I have seen others with lower serial nos. Examples of the Marineglas turn up on ebay (which is where I got mine) with some frequency, usually in battered condition as would be expected for an ex-military item, but mine is in very good condition for a 96 years old binocular leading me to suppose that when new it was a civilian purchase, although it does have the naval graticule.

Both in finish and performance the Marineglas is outstanding, at least on the showing of mine which is one of the 2 or 3 best binoculars that I have, irrespective of age.

Some people selling these on ebay and elsewhere seem to think that they are rare and worth large sums but the frequency with which examples appear shows this cannot be true; I got mine for ?46 including shipping costs only a few months ago.