The three machines
Ask a room of typewriter enthusiasts for one portable to buy and three names come up again and again: the Hermes 3000 from Switzerland (1958 to the late 1970s), the Olympia SM9 from West Germany (1964 to the late 1970s) and the Royal Quiet De Luxe from the USA (1939 to the late 1950s). All three are well-built portables that will last with basic care. They differ in feel, features and especially price.
Hermes 3000: the premium pick
The 3000 is Paillard's top portable, built in Yverdon. It is a segment-shift machine, so the carriage does not lift for capitals, with a tabulator, a touch regulator and Hermes' own margin system. Famous owners include Sylvia Plath, Larry McMurtry and Jack Kerouac. Collectors divide it into three generations: the curvy first generation (1958 to about 1966), usually in seafoam green; a squarer late-1960s body; and the boxy 1970s third generation with more plastic in the shell. The early curvy bodies are the collector favourites; the third generation is cheaper and often has the Techno typeface people look for.
It is also the most expensive of the three. In late 2026 complete unserviced 3000s with a case asked about $390–720 delivered on eBay, and specialist-serviced ones $850 and up. Learn the margin system before assuming something is broken, and check that the carriage moves under its own tension.
Olympia SM9: the value pick
The SM9 is the late member of Olympia's SM series, built in Wilhelmshaven from 1964. Like the Hermes it is segment-shifted, with a keyset tabulator, and the SM series has a reputation among repairers as being among the most durable portables ever made. It changed through its run: early machines have turquoise keys and a cream top, a new body arrived in 1969, and the final late-1970s machines with black knobs are generally considered a step down in finish.
It is the easiest of the three German and Swiss favourites to find. In late 2026 about 34 SM9s were on eBay, unserviced ones mostly $250–430 delivered. Typeface drives much of the price: Congress, Senatorial and script faces ask more than plain pica and elite. Like most portables it takes standard Group 1 ribbon spools.
Royal Quiet De Luxe: the American classic
The Quiet De Luxe is the American writer's portable. Ernest Hemingway used one, and Ian Fleming bought a gold-plated Quiet De Luxe in 1952 and wrote his James Bond novels on it. There are three broad looks: the 1939–1948 first generation, often with glass-topped keys; the late-1940s redesign; and the rounded 1950s body, offered in colours from 1955. It has Royal's Magic Margin and a solid, springy action that many people love.
It is also by far the cheapest of the three. About 35 were on eBay in late 2026, most at $100–180 delivered, so you can afford to be choosy and still pay for a platen re-cover. Royal portables use Royal-style ribbon spools, and many universal spools will not seat on the Royal spindle, so buy ribbon sold for Royal portables or wind it onto the original spools.
Which one?
- Best typing machine for the money: the Olympia SM9, or its slightly older sibling the SM7, which often sells for a little less.
- The one you will treasure: the Hermes 3000, ideally a serviced first-generation machine if the budget allows.
- The best value and a piece of literary history: the Royal Quiet De Luxe. Spend the savings on a proper service.
Whichever you choose, ask for a typed sample, check the keyboard layout on European machines, and budget for a clean and adjust on anything untested. Our Olympia, Hermes and Royal brand pages list the related models.
