ON AUCTION: a mysterious Zeiss # 516/16 which does not exist in factory records !
EXTREMLY RARE !
Internet research seem to tend to the theory that this camera, almost identical to the Ikonta 521/16 exept for the colour of double-exposure-preventing mechanism (black instead of silver) was made in Germany during the WWII either for interior market or for Swiss or Swedish export, or both. (Look for ex.: http://www.apug.org/forums/forum127/51540-nettar-516-a.html)
Knowing something more about history, I suppose it could have been one of the exchange goods between those 2 countries, both lacking money and resources at that time (embargo), and thus exchanging numerous industrial products meeningless to the war effort.
This camer was bought during the war and has been very succesfully used until 2012 !
So this first-hand item is without any doubt in working condition, producing 6x6cm pictures of high quality, despite some dust present in the interior of the lens.
The leather pouch has no typical Zeiss Icon inscription but is without doubt made for this camera (fits 100%). Was it made in Switzerland ? Another mystery... There is no strap on the pouch.
Don't be mislead of some auctions pretending to sell this very model ! From what I have seen, most of them are fake, either because of the misreading of the number (on an old, black box a 6 might look very similar to a 5 or an 8) or because there might be some kind of the forgery (Nettar 516/16 back fitted to an Ikonta 521/16, for example [watch out for the silver dbl-exp-prev. mechanism !]).
Please inquire for any further information before you bid !
Any additional picture available on demand.