French Sextants

[Frank Holden]

I assume the French Navy didn't rely on Plath for their sextants.

Does anyone know anything about French sextants manufactured in the 20th Century?

I have come across the name 'hurlimann'

Does anyone know who may have made this one

La Maison du Sextant Sextant de marine dans... - Lot 262 - De Baecque et Associés

or was 'Maison de Sextant' a manufacturer?


TIA

 

[westhinder]

Can't help you with this one, I'm afraid, but I did find this about Hurlimann:

A. Hurlimann was a mathematical instrument maker in Paris who took over Lorieux's shop in the early 1890s and was succeeded by Ponthus & Therrode a few years later.
Source: https://amhistory.si.edu/navigation/maker.cfm?makerid=34

There must have been a number of specialized manufacturers in France, but most will have disappeared long ago

 

[penberth3]

I assume the French Navy didn't rely on Plath for their sextants.

Does anyone know anything about French sextants manufactured in the 20th Century?

I have come across the name 'hurlimann'

Does anyone know who may have made this one

La Maison du Sextant Sextant de marine dans... - Lot 262 - De Baecque et Associés

or was 'Maison de Sextant' a manufacturer?


TIA

You've got me thinking. I know the French can use a 400g circle instead of 360deg for horizontal angles/bearings. Do they also use this for vertical angles e.g. on a sextant?

 

[Roberto]

Apparently this is the last remaining maker, the article says he took over Lorieux Lepetit Poulain Blanchet

Dans l’Eure, Pierre Lorho est le dernier fabricant français de sextant.

 

[john_morris_uk]

I assume the French Navy didn't rely on Plath for their sextants.

Does anyone know anything about French sextants manufactured in the 20th Century?

I have come across the name 'hurlimann'

Does anyone know who may have made this one

La Maison du Sextant Sextant de marine dans... - Lot 262 - De Baecque et Associés

or was 'Maison de Sextant' a manufacturer?


TIA

Looks very nice. A proper sextant. Looks as though someone knew a bit about what they were doing as it’s got a lanyard on it.

 

[Jodel]

Having done a bit of digging it would appear that La Maison du Sextant also has a side line in repairing vacuum cleaners. This sextant looks very like a Chinese Astra IIIB with a different badge.

 

[[194224]]

........ This sextant looks very like a Chinese Astra IIIB with a different badge.

Spot on, it is a copy of the GLH-130-40. I have one of the original Changzhou ones and also a Celestaire from the US where they sell it as the Astra IIIB, an excellent instrument.

There are fakes out there though. that telescope is not like the original. About Chinese Sextant Knockoffs


Here are mine and you will see the similarity with the "French" one.

 

[Frank Holden]

Thanks all.

I remain slightly puzzled that France - being something of a maritime nation - didn't have an identifiable sextant brand such as KH, Plath, or Tamaya.

Re the telescope - I've seen Plaths with all sorts of different optics over the years.

 

[[194224]]

Thanks all.

Re the telescope - I've seen Plaths with all sorts of different optics over the years.

I was trying to say that the telescope in the picture was not like one that I have ever seen available with a Celestaire or Changzhou. I wasn't talking about other makes. Interestingly the fitting for the telescope has by design or otherwise become not universal but widely adopted. Telescopes from my Celestaire, Changzhou, C Plath and Russian CHO-T instruments are all interchangeable so I've seen many types but none like that. I'm pretty sure the Freiberger has the same arrangement but I don't own one of those.

 

[Frank Holden]

I just checked, the Freiberger has the same telescope mounting system as the Plath.
The mount on the sextant in the link that I first posted seems to be the same - although hard to see - you can see the thumbscrew.

I was simply saying that as Plath fitted a number of different scopes to their sextants over the years maybe Astra changed theirs as well.
F'rinstance this Plath scope is quite different to mine - which is early 50's ( 20th April, 1950.No 29239 ) S9 Late 1940's C. Plath Sextant from Germany with Bakelite box

 

[youen]

Poulain is a sextant maker for the French Navy

 

[Frank Holden]

Poulain is a sextant maker for the French Navy

Thank you, however my searches turn up nothing.

Here is a question - what make of sextant did Moitessier use?

 

[[194224]]

I just checked, the Freiberger has the same telescope mounting system as the Plath.
The mount on the sextant in the link that I first posted seems to be the same - although hard to see - you can see the thumbscrew.

I was simply saying that as Plath fitted a number of different scopes to their sextants over the years maybe Astra changed theirs as well.
F'rinstance this Plath scope is quite different to mine - which is early 50's ( 20th April, 1950.No 29239 ) S9 Late 1940's C. Plath Sextant from Germany with Bakelite box

Understood Frank, I think we are in violent agreement!

The one you posted from the "French" sextant will indeed fit as I mentioned in my post, they seem to be highly interchangeable.

You Plath is very similar vintage to mine, serial 29957, 18 December 1950. It's fitted with a Beck Cassel CBS 6x30 Scope. Very similar to that in the link you gave above but that is not a late 1940s instrument I don't think. Plath were not permitted to begin manufacturing until 1949 and didn't get going really until 1950. Plastic box? Maybe later. I assume yours is a wooden box.

 

[[194224]]

Poulain is a sextant maker for the French Navy

Yep, the link in Roberto's post (#4) says that Poulin Blanchet made sextants for the Marine National (French Navy), model 810 MN

 

[[194224]]

Thank you, however my searches turn up nothing.

Here is a question - what make of sextant did Moitessier use?

Well

Based on this I'd say he used a Poulin Blanchet


SUPERBE SEXTANT MARINE NATIONALE FRANCE EN COFFRET - FABRICATION LEPETIT POULIN BLANCHET type 81

In the picture, the instrument he is using the trapeziodal opening in the frame near the horizon mirror looks very much like that in the sextant for sale.

 

[[194224]]

They do look similar.

 

[Frank Holden]

Understood Frank, I think we are in violent agreement!

The one you posted from the "French" sextant will indeed fit as I mentioned in my post, they seem to be highly interchangeable.

You Plath is very similar vintage to mine, serial 29957, 18 December 1950. It's fitted with a Beck Cassel CBS 6x30 Scope. Very similar to that in the link you gave above but that is not a late 1940s instrument I don't think. Plath were not permitted to begin manufacturing until 1949 and didn't get going really until 1950. Plastic box? Maybe later. I assume yours is a wooden box.

I agree about the advertised one - index arm is very modern. Good value if in good order.

Mine was bought new by my father and passed to me in 1966 when I was a cadet.
Original 'scope, resilvered mirrors.
Also in a smaller box made by a ship's chinese carpenter. Possibly wanted something more compact as he used to 'fly to work' east of Suez.
Arm has to be set to about 30* and mirrors folded in to fit.

 

[john_morris_uk]

Nice. I also have to set the index arm at a specific angle to fit my sextant into its case and I had to make a note on the inside of my sextant box to remind me what that correct angle is! I’ll try and post a picture if I have a moment…

 

[[194224]]

To have it passed from your Father must make it a treasure Frank. Some would say these days it's bonkers but they are things of beauty to be cherished. My son is getting my collection, he has his master's ticket and still looks for opportunities to keep his hand in despite having the excellent electronics they have nowadays.