M6 Titanium Prince Saud Bin Abdul Mohsen Al Saud

[ybarza]

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Anyone know anything about this special edition M6 Titanium? I bought it off ebay but can't really find any info on it.

 

The top plate reads:

 

H.R.H Prince Saud Bin Abdul Mohsen Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud

Presented by Leica Camera and Ahmed & Mohammed Saleh Kaki

 

Thanks

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[wattsy]

Looks more like some kind of corporate or personal gift rather than a special edition. Rather utilitarian looking engraving (actually looks more like the writing has been stamped using individual letter punches) but a titanium M6 is nonetheless a desirable camera and the 'engraving' provides a slightly amusing/eccentric talking point.

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[pinchers of peril]

How interesting.  I'm curious what the backstory on this is. I can't really see the serial number from your pictures.  Have you tried looking up the serial number to see what batch this camera was made in?

[ybarza]

Yes it looks as if it was made in 92. I can only assume it was a gift to the Prince by Leica and Ahmed & Mohammed Saleh Kaki. If this camera was good enough for a prince, certainly it will be good enough for me! Hah!

[luigi bertolotti]

92 was the year of an "official" Special Series M6 : the "Columbo 92" ... the then Italian Distributor was located in the Columbian town (Genova) and the 200 items batch went originally all to him : https://www.cameraquest.com/LM6Colum.htm

[colonel]

Not sure whether Saud bin Abdul Muhsin is the governor of Ha'il province or this is Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud the former monarch of Saudi who died in January this year, which might be why the camera was put on the market by the family.

 

Ahmed & Mohammed between them are chairman and senior executives heads of multiple major Saudi financial institutions.

 

Mohammed's title is actually Sheikh, which he probably didn't have printed on the camera not to be seen to be too arrogant to the head of state.

 

I am sure this was just a gift to the head of state, or regional governor, as part of an ongoing relationship which is the norm in many countries.

 

They are educated in the US and blind speculation is that they are related to the ruling families.

 

I would have thought this edition may have some increased value in certain circles in Saudi but outside it would have a reduced value and most people would prefer a camera without such a personalised message engraved.

 

I was recently offered a beautiful a-la-carte MP in the UK which had "To my darling Mary, Love John xxx" engraved on the back. This engraving contributed to an approximately £500 reduction in cost from a main dealer.

Edited October 2, 2015 by colonel

[wattsy]

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Presumably Mary no longer feels the same way about John?

[earleygallery]

Presumably Mary no longer feels the same way about John?

 

LOL!

[colonel]

Presumably Mary no longer feels the same way about John?

Actually that's correct

 

The story was they divorced and she passed the camera to the dealer to sell

[lleo]

Never get divorced when you know you're going to lose a Leica

[earleygallery]

Actually that's correct

 

The story was they divorced and she passed the camera to the dealer to sell

 

Phew, I was worried something sad had happened, like she went digital! 

[kavalliano]

This is absolutely a normal version Leica M6 Titanium, inwhich later sent back to Leica for engraving on top to make it personal item/gift... 
You can do this by engraving your name, or any thing on your Leica M, for a few hundred bucks.

[luigi bertolotti]

....

You can do this by engraving your name, or any thing on your Leica M, for a few hundred bucks.

... and, btw, not necessarly by Leica... any jeweler can do this...

[Guest]

...

 

Hopefully an unlabeled titanized top cap is still available at Leica for replacement.

It would be very uncomfortable at any border control on airports to be suspected as a possible thief in all manual controls or transilluminations of luggage.

[zeitz]

In the US the best practice for foreign travel with expensive camera equipment is to go to US Customs before leaving the US and get a notarized certificate of ownership.  The traveler can easily prove that the equipment originated with him before travel commenced.  There is no charge and it only takes a few minutes.

[philcycles]

In the US the best practice for foreign travel with expensive camera equipment is to go to US Customs before leaving the US and get a notarized certificate of ownership.  The traveler can easily prove that the equipment originated with him before travel commenced.  There is no charge and it only takes a few minutes.

I've travelled with Leicas, Rolleis and Hasselblads and never had a problem reentering the US.

[colonel]

 

Hopefully an unlabeled titanized top cap is still available at Leica for replacement.

It would be very uncomfortable at any border control on airports to be suspected as a possible thief in all manual controls or transilluminations of luggage.

 

 

that's just silly

[lleo]

Yep. Even if the customs officers stop you, they have to demonstrate the camera is not yours. I could have engraved the name of my fiancée, cat, dog, mum, pa, car, bike, etc. Or also Napoleon the Emperor or Konrad Adenauer. In this case the officers should go to their graves to ask if they had their cameras stolen.