Classification: / Company Info,
Info: While WALTHER is a household name in the world of firearms, the company spent nearly half a century as a major player in the business machine industry.
Between 1924 and the early 1970s, they produced high-quality calculators that were just as precisely engineered as their famous pistols.
Post-WWI Pivot: Following the Treaty of Versailles, WALTHER was restricted in its arms production. To survive, the company diversified into civilian technology, launching its first mechanical calculator in 1924.
The ‘Coffee Grinders’: Their early machines were pinwheel calculators (based on the Odhner system). Because they were operated by a hand crank on the side, they were often affectionately called ‘coffee grinders’
Precision Engineering: Walther's calculators gained a reputation for being robust and reliable. By the 1930s, they had expanded into electric models and full-keyboard adding machines, exporting 17 different models worldwide.
Post-WWII Success: After the war, production moved to West Germany.
This era saw the release of the WSR-160, one of the most successful mechanical calculators of its time, prized for its compact design and smooth operation.
The Electronic Shift and Exit: In the late 1960s, WALTHER attempted to transition into the electronic age, even developing early computerized ticketing systems for the German railway. However, they couldn't compete with the flood of cheap,
mass-produced electronic pocket calculators from Japan.
By the mid-1970s, WALTHER ceased calculator production to return to its roots in sporting and defense firearms.