This week Catawiki has an exclusive camera auction with some rare products (the Leica section can be found here):
The Leica M Edition 60 (TYP 240) camera (2014) was launched by Leica at Photokina in 2014 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of this iconic Leica rangefinder system. The set is equipped with a Leica Summilux-M 35mm f / 1.4 ASPH lens and the edition is limited to only 600 copies. Each body is therefore provided with unique numbering. Each body also bears a ‘Leica 60’ and ‘Leica Camera Wetzlar’ engraving as a tribute. This set bears the unique number 163/600 on camera as on the lens and is boxed in a nice gift box. This is a true collector’s item!
Leica M3 NERA – the black paint version of the legendary Leica M3 is a dream of many Leica collectors. Officially offered from 1959 in very small quantities in black paint, only about 1,320 cameras were produced until the end of production in 1966. Starting in 1925, black paint was the original finish for Leicas. Starting with Leica II, cameras became chrome, which was seen as a deluxe. All black M3’s and M2’s are painted, at least if they left the factory black. Occasionally you will find a black painted chrome M3 or M2 customized by some intrepid restorer. There is some discussion if the black paint and black lacquer listed in factory records are really one and the same finish, or not. Anyway, black paint continued until about halfway through M4 production. The later black M4’s are black chrome, like the then-current production M5 which introduced the “new improved” black chrome finish. Initially, the black chrome finish was generally thought to be an improved, tougher finish. This camera is 100% original black paint and authentic. It was produced in a batch of 150 cameras in October 1962.
