Mickey2

Oh, I see. I didn't realize the model difference. After seeing one of these in action I fell for it and looked it up on the web. I actually never knew model number at the time. It's all promising info on them, and I still want one :- )

I don't know for how long they were in production, probably introduced in 1938. Bernina managed to introduce their first free arm zigzagger of much lighter build just before the war ended in 1944, and in those years most sewing machine makers lacked machinery. In those years I think Bernina produced machines for Husqvarna, Pfaff, Gritzner, and other brands until they had sorted out production. During the war all factories produced some kind of war oriented necessity and it took a while to get back on track. I imagine Bernina let their model 114 and 117 go, and focused on their new model 125. I'm not sure how they numbered their model, if there are any between 117 and 125? Might be industrial models. I don't know what happened to the 117, but all post war machines I've seen were cast aluminum bodied, more of a shell than the older heavier castings. Bernina is the last sewing machine factory left in Europe. Most of the known brands seems to live on, but they have been bought and sold, merged and dissolved so many times it's hard to keep track. Some claim they still are developed in Europe, but I suspect just as much in the far east these days.