pre-WW2 Polish Artillery Stereoscopic Rangefinder 80cm (Wild Heerbrugg)

Artillery Stereoscopic rangefinder (two-image) 80 cm. Swiss production for the Polish Army made in 1939.

In the early 1930s (1932), a domestic prototype of a lightweight stereoscopic rangefinder with an optical base of 80 centimeters was developed, which was to be equipped with artillery and infantry reconnaissance units. This task was assigned to Polskie Zakłady Optyczne P.Z.O. Due to the demand for K3 (150 cm) rangefinders, the production of 80 cm rangefinders at PZO was postponed to a later time.

Due to industrial factors, the Polish Army made foreign orders in the 1930s, among others, in France and Switzerland. The presented 80 cm rangefinder was made in the Wild Heerbrugg factory in Switzerland. The offered example is number 150 and was produced in 1939. The surface is covered with original khaki paint according to the Polish pattern. The abrasions also show the orange primer varnish, corresponding to the Polish brand “Salamandra”.

  The optics don’t work and nothing is visible through them. Original leather strap. Condition as in the photos. A unique item rarely found on the market.