The instruments always retain their beauty. Even perspiration and eraser particles, which so quickly turn any other metal drab, can not discolor chromium steel. Stainless steel is five times more resistant than Brass or German Silver. They are made out chromium containing stainless steel. Wild Compasses are not merely chromium plated. Wild Heerbrugg produced Precision Drawing Sets of Stainless Steel sets between 19 Nice and complete drawing set from the 1960's If it is originally Wild I do not know, but it does fit a T16 canister nicely.For sale is this very hard to find: Drawing Set - RZ40 - Wild Heerbrugg AG - the ULIMATE one

The leather case was obtained separately from the UK. I have now fitted this theodolite with a circular compass which I bought together with another T-16 from the US. The tripod unexpectedly turned out to be the real catch as I did not have this model in the collection yet. The bracket ultimately did not fit the DI10, my guess is now that it went with an Aga Geodimeter which I do not have. The T-16 is slightly different from the Canadian one and indicates that the older designs had variations (notably the mirror on the vertical level is smaller). After some discussion I could even get the tripod shipped expecting that to be one already in the collection. I was not looking for another T-16 but saw this on a website with a bracket that looked like it would fit my DI10. The other T-16 comes with a similar story. The bracket for the GAK10 is mounted on top of the instrument, and the tubular compass is used for roughly aligning the telescope with (magnetic) North so that the gyrocompass can be run properly. It did come at a price as it is a very bulky instrument. The GAK10 is a rare instrument and as I only had a new T16 at that time I had to buy it. The T16 from Canada came with both the tubular magnetic compass ánd the GAK10 gyrocompass and all accesoires. Both came with compasses although of a different nature. I do not make it a habit to keep double instruments in my collection but in this case I felt I did not have an option. The T-16 did however come with many accesoires of which many also fit on the T1 and T2.

But that does come at a price (accuracy). My guess for its wide use in the army would be that it is the only theodolite from Wild that is direct reading (both vertical and horizontal scale can be read at the same time) avoiding confusion. It is just about as accurate as the much smaller (and more practical) T0. To me it does not make sense as it is the same size of the T1 and T2 but not as accurate as either of these two. It was however used extensively in the US Military so must have had a purpose. The T16 is, together with the T12, one of those instruments from Wild Heerbrugg that does not seem to make sense.

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