Hermes Baby 1939

1939 HERMES BABY from the famed Hermes dealer August Baggenstos in Zurich, Switzerland. It has been fully cleaned and serviced, inside and out, and is in excellent cosmetic condition and working perfectly. Nothing has been replaced or changed from its original manufacture, with the exception of the four rubber feet on the base. It was manufactured in Switzerland during the year in which World War II began. This is possibly the finest Hermes Baby/Rocket typewriter--in terms of mechanical and cosmetic condition--to be offered for sale in many years.
 
This is a superb HERMES Baby typewriter from 1939 in exceptionally fine original condition. Conserved and restored to full original functionality and appearance. Fully working and in extraordinary condition after 81 years. It is completely original in all parts, has not been repainted and no decals have been replaced. It was manufactured in Switzerland during the fourth year of production for the Baby model typewriter.
 
Note well that this Hermes Baby comes from the famous Hermes Dealer, August Baggenstos in Zurich, Switzerland. His workshops and dealership was one of the earliest that specialized in Hermes typewriters. That, and the early date of manufacture, makes this Hermes an extraordinary find for a collector--or typer! And, the beauty of this machine is that it is also working as originally--and it has a wonderful typing feel!
 
This is a fully-working--as original--typewriter. The only thing that you have to do is sit down, put paper on the roller and start typing. It comes with the Acme lead seal and a full mechanical warranty for 6 months. We guarantee safe delivery and provide careful and attentive after-purchase advice and assistance from the date of purchase to the end of eternity to ensure your full satisfaction. We have shipped safely to the outback of Australia, the Sultanate of Brunei, Japan, China, Dayton Ohio, the Isle of Wight, Ecuador and hundreds of places in between.
 
All keys type smoothly, the chrome is in top condition, all levers and functions work as originally.  It comes with its two original metal, ribbon spools.  The platen is of still usable hardness (softness) and is smooth and clean; the quality of the imprint can be seen on the typing sample. (The platen rubber can be replaced upon request of the buyer at an additional cost of 100€.) The Paper Feed Rollers are soft and grip the paper well. The platen release mechanism in the left platen knob is in perfect working order, and both knobs are in perfect condition. Every mechanical function of this typewriter has been inspected, cleaned, adjusted and aligned to make it work perfectly for another 80+ years. The felt liner on the base of the typewriter is in excellent condition as is the wool "soundproofing on either side of the interior of the body. It is very rare indeed to find a Hermes where these parts are clean and intact.
 
The painted finish on the body of the typewriter is in superb condition, is all original to the typewriter, and has very few signs of wear, the only real exception being the slightest usage wear on the corners to the left and the right of the spacebar. The keys are in wonderful condition.  The beautiful Hermes logo decal is original and has not been retouched in any way. Likewise the painted information on the rear panel and the decal on the inner case from Baggenstos.
 
One point to note with care, all the red detailing (see for instance the paper bail, the back side of the paper rest, the arrows on the margin buttons) is still intact on this machine. I have never seen that before. It gives a wonderful "freshness" to the whole typewriter.
 
This Hermes has a QWERTY keyboard with symbols for accents needed for French, German etc.   The typeface/font is Hermes Pica (10 cpi). The enduring shine on the spacebar is a wonder to behold.
 
The original case is in excellent condition. The chrome is uncorroded but has some small usage scratches on the two bars at the back. The leather is in excellent condition as can be seen in the photos. It is pliable and not "dried-out". The interior felt lining has only some small marking from the typebars but is otherwise in perfect, intact condition. There is an "August Baggenstos, Zurich" decal on the inside-bottom of the case.
 
Based on the serial number (173XXX) this machine is from 1939. This model Hermes typewriter is also known as the Hermes Rocket.
 
This extraordinary example of a very early HERMES BABY will be packed and shipped with the greatest care to preserve its condition and beauty.
Check our reviews to see how our friends react to the care we take in our packing. It will be fully insured during shipment.
 
Notes on the 6-month Mechanical Warranty: Should anything require repair on the typewriter the Acme Type Machine Company (an established company in the Netherlands with Chamber of Commerce registration 74166247) will repair it free of charge when shipped to our workshop. Due to the costs of shipping and the possibilities therein for damage during the shipping process we will work with you to make any required adjustments or repairs at home prior to taking the step to ship it to our workshop in Holland. Should it be preferable due to costs involved, we will also discuss the possibility of bringing it to a local professional typewriter repair service to make the necessary repairs. 
The warranty does not cover damage due to mishandling, incorrect use or dropping the typewriter, or for ordinary typewriter maintenance such as ribbon changing, platen roller renovation, character adjustment due to extensive use etc.
 
If you have any questions or wish to see more photos, please don't hesitate to contact us.