[Leica] A most daring proposition.

[Erwin Puts <imxputs@knoware.nl>]

The study of Leica history and its products is a nice way of spending 
some spare time. Living in the Netherlands is a nice way of spending 
all your time, especially as the distance to Wetzlar/Solms  makes 
frequent visits feasible.
Walking in Wetzlar always challenges the historical mind and recently 
I stumbled across a new small book, titled "Die Leitz Werke in 
Wetzlar", a picture history of Leitz from the beginnings till 1988, 
the year that Solms took over. This booklet  gives some support to my 
own view that the current Leica products in the Solms incarnation, 
are not a continuation of the Leitz tradition, but completely new 
products.
The very special way of manufacturing and design used by the 
"Leitzianer" (Leitz workers) and the unique family spirit of Leitz is 
of course incorporated, spiritually and materially in the cameras 
leaving the Wetzlar Werke. In 1972 the Leitz family gradually 
withdrew from the company and by 1974 the Wild-Heerbrugg Company 
owned the majority of shares. Per the first of january 1988 the Solms 
factory adopted the Leica product family.
As I have the same production data as Mr Gandy we can pull out some 
interesting serial numbers.
The first serial number of the Solms company is 1733451. (11 jan 1988)
The last serial number of the Leitz owned Leitz factory (1972) is 
1296500 ( M5 on 5 January 1972) and 1345000 (Leicaflex on 16 November 
1971). The dates of the serial numbers are the allocation dates of 
the series. The Leicaflex allotment was 10.000 bodies, so presumably 
the building period stretched for the whole year 1972. The next 
Leicaflex allotment is indeed in early 1973.
So the person who owns 1296500 and/or 1733451 has indeed some landmark bodies.
My proposition then is this:
The Leitz factory as an institution and as a company paled after 1972 
and vanished completely after 1974. Even if the new company (Wild) 
continued to produce the same products, they are not to be considered 
as true Leitz products.
Even more so: the Solms factory created completely new products, even 
if the outward appearance is almost identical. Why: in the Leitz days 
almost every component was made in-house, every screw and washer and 
gear was produced in the Wetzlar buildings. The Solms factory uses a 
very different production philosophy and also has a different 
assembly technique. As I have explained quite often: the Solms way of 
doing things is better than the Wetzlar way., disregarding nostalgia 
and collector feelings. So the current M6 body may have many parts 
which can be exchanged with the M4 types of Wetzlar origin, they are 
different products. The first 2000 M6 bodies have been built in 
Canada, which does indicate that the M6 is not a Wetzlar product, 
even when subsequent series have been built in the Wetzlar building. 
An industrial product cannot be isolated from its design and 
production technology, it does embody in its character its creation.
Warning: this is a proposition, not a statement of fact.

Erwin