A vintage Suunto G-72 wrist compass, dating from the mid 20th century, probably made in the 1950's or 1960's. Made in Finland, this type of compass was often issued to military personnel, and the extra long leather lanyard/wrist strap allowed it to be attached to uniform buttons or worn on the wrist. It is a liquid filled design, with an aluminium case, rotating aluminium bezel, and transparent baseplate. The compass has a red/black needle with a luminous north marker, luminous cardinal points, and luminous bearing markers. The compass also has an integral clinometer, with a black swinging pointer inside the compass capsule, and a degrees scale on the rear of the transparent baseplate. The leather lanyard/strap is extra long (60cm), intended to be worn over military or mountaineering winter clothing.
Suunto: In 1932 Tuomas Vohlonen, the company's founder, applied for a patent for a unique method of filling and sealing a lightweight compass housing made entirely of celluloid and filled with liquid to dampen the needle and to protect it from shock and wear due to excessive motion. In 1935, Vohlonen was granted a patent on his design, and it went into mass production a year later as the wrist-mount Suunto M-311. Although it was not the first portable liquid-filled compass, Vohlonen's design was compact and lightweight, enabling it to be easily worn on the wrist. With minor changes, the M-311 was later adopted by the Finnish Army as the M-34. During WW2 Suunto introduced a compact liquid sighting compass, the M/40, for artillery officers and other users needing a precision instrument for measuring an azimuth. The company grew rapidly after the war, supplying compasses to both civilian and military markets.
Condition:
The compass is in very good condition, full working order, and finds North very well. The bezel rotates smoothly. There are some marks to the baseplate. The clinometer is fully functional. The luminous markers are working well. The leather strap is in very good condition.
Dimensions : 50mm x 50mm (strap: 600mm)
