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Swiss Gongs

Started by HobieSport, April 01, 2009, 05:55:18 PM

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HobieSport

Warning. Swiss phone porn.

McHeath

They nested the gongs inside one another?!?!

mienaichizu

is that a way to make the phones more compact??

AET

Boy this is almost as clever as them fancy army knives of theirs.
- Tom

HobieSport

#4
Oh those clever Swiss!  I saw these two phones on Ebay a couple of weeks ago and bought them for $25. each.  They are made by Albiswerk Zurich, the Swiss "Ma Bell" if you will, and a branch of the Siemens company.  Both phones are 1956 and look nearly new except for the dirty cords.

Yep, they nested the gongs one in the other to save space.  Also, notice the contact switches behind the protective clear plastic window on the network.  I haven't looked really closely at the electronics yet, but so far am just really impressed by the neatness and order.  Oh so Swiss.

These are my only non-U.S. phones so far, other than a Dutch PTT phone.  They are also my first "colored" phones.  I wish they were black but you can't have everything. ;)  They are a warm creamy color, not like the cold white color in the photos.  The real color is more like...yep...Swiss cheese. :D

I have a special fondness for things Swiss.  My aunt married a Swiss, a big time cheese-maker, in fact, and so some of my cousins are Swiss.  Yes, it's true, they all speak English, German, Italian and French fluently.  One cousin works in the Lipizzaner horse stables.  Another thing that I think is neat is that in the Swiss Army, all males (not sure about the females) of military age serve for two weeks out of the year, so there is no gap between "military" and civilian.  Not that they have a lot of wars to fight... ;)  But the military also serves in civilian Police, Fire, and Emergency relief services.  I don't know a lot about it, just what little my cousin told me.

Anyhoos, here's a link to some historical info about Siemens-Albiswerk, and some more pictures.  Now I'm getting hungry for some good Swiss fondue...  :D

http://tinyurl.com/c33oe9

mienaichizu

they both look very nice!

Dennis Markham

Hobie those are classy looking phones.  Admittedly I have not had an interest in "foreign" made telephones but I do like the look of those.  My lack of interest is more than likely because of my lack of knowledge.  Perhaps I'll pay a little more attention.  I am reminded of a conversation I had with a brother-in-law, a jet pilot who flew many corporate aircraft and ultimately flew 737's for the airlines.  I was speaking of my own flying experiences, all of which were in single engine airplanes.  I said, "I have no interest in flying a jet".  To which he replied, "That's because you've never flown a jet".  Touche.  Same with the phones.

Ah, but I forgot, I do have a foreign phone (other than a Northern Electric).  It's from Norway.

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=439.msg4276#msg4276

HobieSport

Thanks Dennis.  Yep, I'm pretty happy with the Swiss phones.  The foreign phones are interesting to compare to the American jobs.  Your Norwegian Telegrafverket convertible phone is very nice, too.  Did you ever find out who sent it to you and get the crack repaired?

We're just going to have to get you behind the wheel of a 737 someday... ;)

Dennis Markham

That's probably unlikely (the 737).  No I never did hear from anyone about that phone.  It's still in the same condition it was when it arrived.  I've banished to one of my shelves in my work shop until "some day".  I have too many other projects waiting in line.  But eventually I'll get "a roundtuit". 

LarryInMichigan

I realize that this topic is rather old, but I just received a Yugoslavian Iskra ATA 11 which bears a striking resemblance to these Swiss phones.  Here are a couple of pictures from the seller.  I plan to post more about this phone in a new topic soon.

Larry

Matilo Telephones

Yes, it´s almost the same Phone. Licence built? Is there a connection between ALbiswerk and Iskra?

These gongs, one inside the other, are not exclusive to this Phone or Switserland. I´ve seen them on other phones too, outside Switserland. I think early Maingau telephones had a ringer similar to this one.
Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

Matilo Telephones

Found it. Telefonbau & Normalzeit Maingau 35 (Model 1935). Pinched this pic from the forum of wasser.de

Groeten,

Arwin

Check out my telephone website: http://www.matilo.eu/?lang=en

And I am on facebook too: www.facebook.com/matilosvintagetelephones

migette

Hi I have just finished adding to my Telephones of the World series and mentioned the Albiswerk  Who has noticed the ASTIC coil is wound on the same former as the ringer to further save space. I had almost forgot I had this phone as it came from a very old Bootsale at Wimbledon 20 or more years ago. Will have to get its lookalike the Iskra ATA 11. You Tube migette1