Prismen-Binocle Voigtländer 7x50, Kaiserliche Marine, circa 1914

Binoculars 7x50, produced in a limited number of units by Voigtländer around 1914, to be assigned to the Officers of the Imperial German Navy.

In fact, on the left eyepiece plate, in addition to the manufacturer's mark "Voigtländer Braunschweig", there is the "Kaiserliche Krone" above the "M", a mark which certifies acceptance by the Kaiserliche Marine. On the right eyepiece plate, unlike all other models of Voigtländer 7x50 binoculars produced for the Kaiserliche Marine, it also bears the wording "Prismen-Binocle" which, to date, has never been found on these models. This suggests that these are binoculars produced in a limited number of units, probably at the beginning of the first world war.

The binoculars are in excellent condition: all the mechanisms work correctly and the view is collimated and clear.

Voigtländer Braunschweig was created in Vienna in 1756, the company took its name from its founder, Johann Christoph Voigtländer and initially produced optical instruments, intended in particular for microscopes and other scientific equipment. Among the first creations were the Petzval type lenses, and others destined to become famous, such as the Collinear and the Heliar. In 1840 he built the first lens for cameras, while in 1841 the first entirely metal daguerreotype was developed.

He subsequently produced plate machines, built in a practically artisanal way. In 1849 the headquarters were moved to Braunschweig, Germany, where Voigtländer & Sohn was born shortly thereafter. In 1925 it was purchased by Schering AG. Voigtländer later oriented its production towards photographic devices accessible to all, and this allowed it to remain among the market leaders until after the Second World War. In 1958 it was bought by the Carl Zeiss Foundation and in 1972 it was renamed "Zeiss Ikon Voigtländer".

In 1973 the brand became the property of Rollei until the crisis of 1982. At this point the brand was bought first by "Plus foto", which from 1980 marketed Voigtländer cameras produced by Ricoh and Chinon and then in 1995 by "Ringfoto", but this represents more than anything a long period of darkness. Finally in 1999 the brand was reborn with the purchase by the Japanese Cosina.