Before the war, Adox and Wirgin shared the Wirgin factory in Wiesbaden. Some camera models were then manufactured in parallel for both brands, or successively for one and then the other. This was the case with the Wirgin Edinex and Adox Adrette.

The idea of establishing a complete genealogy is tempting, but its realization is hindered by confusing rules for model numbering. All pre-war models have the same general shape, with a thin body in the middle and swollen ends to accommodate the film spools. Loading is done from the bottom, in the manner of Leica cameras of that time. The metal parts of the camera sometimes have a pinkish color.

The shutter and lens are at the end of an extractable tube. Several combinations of lens and shutter exist. Most models have two finger rests that facilitate the pulling of this tube. The distance is adjusted by either turning the front part of the lens or turning the ring located at the base of the tube.

The viewfinder is rudimentary. Next to it is the base for attaching a rangefinder.

The first models exist only under the Wirgin brand, but from 1938 (c.), both brands offer the camera under the name Edinex at Wirgin and Adrette at Adox. After the war, production resumed, but briefly at Adox, and with far fewer models than at Wirgin.

The Adox brand is clearly visible on the hood and makes it easy to identify the brand. As for the model, it's much more difficult. On this example, the large advance/rewind buttons are finely grooved, while on other examples, the grooves are thick or replaced by diamond-shaped sizes.

Here, focusing is done by rotating the front lens of the lens. The shutter is a Compur, more powerful (triggering at 1/300 and equipped with slow speeds) than the Pronto which equips some Wirgin Edinex cameras.

The lens is a Schneider-Kreuznach Radionar 3.5/5 cm. The leather on the back is marked with a GERMANY inscription.

On this model, the back is not equipped with a hatch to facilitate the insertion of the film, but only with a large screw (diameter of the round head: 16 mm), opening with a coin and revealing a round hole of 1 cm in diameter. This was probably a minimal solution to access the film during loading, for example, if it was improperly engaged.

Double exposure is prevented by an internal mechanism, as is accidental film advance before triggering. You have to turn a small washer with your thumb to advance one frame; if there has been a trigger, this is not necessary. A washer of the same appearance is located on the hood next to the rewind button, aimed at releasing the film at the end of the exposure.

This camera's compactness is notable, slightly smaller and lighter than a standard Leica of the same era while giving a comparable impression of robustness. Moreover, compared to the Leica, it fits better in the hand due to the shape of the body (bulge on either side). But that's where the comparison ends.