„At a red moon and a bright star, thunder and lightning are not far“ or „When the sky is sailed by sheep of white, the weather will stay nice and bright”. These and other weather proverbs and sayings have a tradition of many centuries. They are based on experience and weather observation but nowadays, as we are able to make very detailed predictions on our weather regarding time and geography, they seem slightly out-dated.
Something like this might have crossed the mind of Gotthilf Lufft, when in 1881 he decided to make a pivotal entrepreneurial move and founded the company “Mech. Werkstatt G. Lufft“, where the trained optician produced and selled barometers. The basic idea behind that was as simple as it was brilliant. His measuring elements were diaphragm cells made of metal that expanded and contracted according to the surrounding pressure. With his barometers, Lufft filled a market gap and was successful from the very first year on. Within 20 years, Lufft became market leader in the field of metal barometers until one day, there came a young emperor with great plans…
The „place in the sun“
When German Emperor Wilhelm II wished for a „place in the sun“, for Lufft this turned into a long-lasting spell of rather bad weather, at least from an economical point of view. During the First World War, production was altered and focused on altimeters for the young Air Force. The civil market business collapsed and had to be rebuild from scratch after the end of the war. Another setback was the death of Gotthilf Lufft in 1921. His son-in-law, Dr. Richard Lufft-Müller and proxy Wilhelm Flor took over the business and led Lufft to a second bloom. Apart from barometers, the company was now also producing and selling bi-metal thermometers which once more brought remarkable success. However, the next war already began to cast its shadows.
New beginning in ruins
The second new beginning for Lufft after the Second World War was difficult because of the ever-present scarcity and new changes within the company management. However, when Lufft decided to specialize in weather stations for private households and meteorological measuring instruments for corporate customers, this led to another successful period. The reason for this continuing success had always been the high precision quality of all products which had been repeatedly proven under extreme conditions. The second bloom of the Lufft company continued for thirty more years, until the growing digitalization threatened to put an end to it. In 1989, when everyone in Germany celebrated the Fall of the Berlin Wall, Lufft was facing a wall of its own. Things came to a halt. Everybody demanded digital, but Lufft was mechanical.
The world is digital
After the company owner had decided to sell, Stefan Schöllhammer and Klaus Hirzel took over the company and led it into the digital age. The device that played the most important part in that was the HP 100. The first electronical leaf moisture recorder that helped fruit growers all over the world to prevent vermin infestations on apples, grapes and bananas. On the market, the product was able to profit from the outstanding reputation of its mechanical predecessors and thus secured Lufft a place in the digital future. As a result, the third new beginning was successful as well.
Just like popular lore has a saying for every kind of weather, it also says that „third time is a charm”. For Lufft, this turned out to be very true.
I have an 8.5 inch Lufft barometer, porclelain face, oak mount, german made. Is it possibly a ‘salesmans sample’ ? thanks S.K.
That is a very beautiful and timeless Lufft product. We sold many of them.
Therefore, we cannot consider with certainty that it is a salesmans sample, but it could be…
I have a Lufft 5450 ships barometer with an open face showing the workings. The scratches on the back are in a side to side swirl, indicating that it was used on a working ship. Over what time period was this model made?
Thanks!
Hello Mr. Ensminger,
this model was produced round about between the 1950s and the 1970s.
Regards
Tobias Weil
Hello.
I have a Lufft Observer R 76108 ships barometer. I’ve changed the broken glass, cleaned and oiled the works, calibrated it and polished the case. It’s beautiful now and works fine. Do you know when was this model made?
Thanks in advance,
Heli Barros.
Hello, I have a pocket compensated barometer with altimeter and Celsius thermometer in its case. The number is 1427. When was it produced?
Would you be able to give me an approximate date of manufacture for a stainless steel “G. Lufft – Altimeter Compens, Serial Nr: 90151”? How does it work?
Hi there
I have an old Lufft rear view mirror, it has altitude (0-9) on the left hand side and temperature (oF) on the right. Is it from a car or an aeroplane?
Can anybody help me identify what it would have been fitted to please.
Many thanks
Hello,
I own a very very old Lufft Thermometer/Altimeter rear view Mirror.
The numbers on mirror have faded and need replacing. Where can I get replacement mirrors or the decal so I can get another one made locally here in Australia.
Thanks
I purchased a Lufft 711 at an estate sale covered with dust and grime. I’ve cleaned it up and it’s stunning. Wondering when it was manufactured? Has an Art Deco look to it with barometer, Hygrometer, and temp for US market.
Grateful for any info
Mitch.
Dear Mitch,
I’m glad that you found such a treasure. I think it was manufactured around 50 years ago.
By the way: the manufacturer Fischer in Drebach, Germany still produces traditional mechanic Lufft sensors and maybe could help with spare parts or other models of the mechanic portfolio. More at http://www.fischer-barometer.de/fischer/en/.
Thanks and best regards,
Helena
I have a lufft pocket compens number 52935.made in Germany. Can you tell me anything about it. Thanks
Dear Cecilia,
Thanks for your request.
I just can tell you that these kind of altimeters were produced between 1930 and 1990.
Hope this info helps.
Best regards,
Helena
Dear Lufft, I have been given a lovely old Lufft barometer/thermometer for my birthday and wonder if you can tell me anything about it, such as date of manufacture. It is made for the English language market and the barometer reads in inches of mercury. The thermometer has an unusual snail-shaped mercury bulb. The front face of the instrument is wood-inlaid with a circular fan-like design top and bottom and a pair of oval designs in the centre, separating the two instruments. The number 4325 is stamped in the wood above the barometer on the back and the number 0 is stamped to the right of the barometer. Thank you.
Dear David, For some antique products it’s a little bit difficult to find out when they were produced. Could you please send us a photo of the instrument to pr@lufft.com? Many thanks and best regards, Helena
Hello i have a 5350a Lufft and i want to know how old it is
Dear Dilan,
The sensor should be from the 20/30’s.
Kind regards,
Helena
Hello, I have a Lufft Barometer with 3233 on it and has MB written on it’s face.
What year was this made?
Dear Alan,
I’d gladly help you with that. Could you please send a picture of the device to pr@Lufft.com?
Thank you and best regards,
Helena