The Leica Luxus II is one of the rarest cameras in the world, a gold-plated 1932 Leica that an owner kept unrecognized for years before it surfaced on television. Here is the full story, from a £5,000 valuation on Antiques Roadshow to a HK$4.84 million auction in Hong Kong.
Quick Facts:
- Product: Leica Luxus II
- Made: Circa 1932
- Base camera: Leica II (Model D)
- Finish: Gold-plated body with lizard-skin covering
- Production: Only four ever made
- Antiques Roadshow valuation: About £5,000 (2001)
- Sold for: HK$4.84 million including premium (2013)
- Significance: Among the rarest Leicas in existence
6 min read
In This Article
Leica Luxus II Overview: A Gold Leica Almost Lost in a Drawer
The Leica Luxus II is a gold-plated version of one of the most important cameras of the 20th century. Leica built it around 1932 as a luxury showpiece, finishing the body in gold and wrapping it in lizard skin. With only four ever made, it ranks among the rarest Leicas anyone can name.
What makes this particular camera famous is how close it came to being forgotten. For years it sat with an owner in England, its significance unrecognized, until a television appraisal revealed what it was. That story turned a quiet family possession into an auction sensation.
The Luxus II earns its place among the rarest and most remarkable cameras ever made. It combines genuine scarcity, a famous base camera, and a discovery story that reads like a collector’s dream.
Specs at a Glance
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | Leica Luxus II |
| Made | Circa 1932 |
| Base camera | Leica II (Model D) |
| Type | 35mm rangefinder |
| Finish | Gold plating with lizard-skin covering |
| Production | Four units |
| Roadshow valuation | About £5,000 (2001) |
| Auction price | HK$4.84 million with premium (2013) |
Why the Leica Luxus II Is One of Four, and the Only One Accounted For
Scarcity defines this camera. Leica produced only four Luxus II bodies, a tiny run even by collector standards. That number alone places it in rare company among vintage Leicas.
The story gets stronger from there. The whereabouts of the other three Luxus II cameras are unknown, which means the example that reached auction is effectively the only one the public can account for. For a buyer, that comes very close to owning a unique object.
This blend of tiny production and missing siblings is what drives the value. Collectors prize cameras they cannot simply find elsewhere, and the Leica Luxus II sits near the top of that list. It belongs in any honest discussion of the most collectible cameras ever made.
Gold Plating and Lizard Skin: The Luxus Treatment
The Luxus line was Leica’s idea of luxury. Where a standard Leica wore chrome and black, the Luxus models were gold-plated and dressed in reptile-skin covering. The goal was a camera for wealthy buyers who wanted the most extravagant version money could buy.
The finish was the whole point. Gold plating across the body and a lizard-skin wrap turned a precision tool into a piece of jewelry. The camera still worked like a Leica, but it looked like nothing else on a 1930s shop shelf.
That decadence is also a clue to its rarity. Few buyers wanted, or could afford, a gold camera even when new, so Leica made only a handful. The surviving Leica Luxus II shows just how far the company would go for its most exclusive customers.
From a £5,000 Antiques Roadshow Valuation to Auction
The camera’s modern fame began on television. The owner brought it to the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow in 2001, where an appraiser valued the gold Leica at around £5,000. At the time, that seemed like a strong figure for an old camera.
That valuation proved to be a fraction of the truth. As interest in rare Leicas climbed over the following decade, experts recognized the Luxus II for what it was, and estimates rose far beyond the original appraisal. The gap between the two numbers became part of the camera’s appeal.
The lesson is one collectors love. An object can sit unrecognized for years, then reveal extraordinary value once the right expert sees it. The Leica Luxus II is a textbook case, and it fits the wider pattern of rising vintage camera values.
Built on the 1932 Leica II
Beneath the gold sat a landmark camera. The Luxus was based on the Leica II, also called the Model D, which Leica introduced in 1932. It was the first Leica with a built-in rangefinder, a feature that made accurate focusing far easier.
The Leica II mattered to the whole medium. It refined the compact 35mm system that Oskar Barnack had pioneered, and it helped make small, fast, candid photography practical for the first time. Photographers could now focus precisely and shoot quickly with one pocketable body.
That heritage adds depth to the gold version. The Luxus II is not just a flashy object, it is a flashy version of a genuinely important camera. For where the Leica II sits in the larger story, see our history of photography timeline.
The HK$4.84 Million Sale That Fell Short
The Leica Luxus II finally went to auction at Bonhams in Hong Kong on 22 November 2013. In the run-up, headlines suggested it might become the most valuable camera ever sold, with some predictions pushing past £1 million.
The hammer told a more modest story. The camera sold for HK$4.84 million including the buyer’s premium, which worked out to roughly £380,000 or about $620,000 at the time. That was a large sum, yet it fell well short of the lofty pre-sale expectations, and the result was widely reported as a disappointment.
The outcome still secured the camera’s reputation. A price near $620,000 confirmed the Luxus II as one of the most valuable cameras in the world, even if it did not break records. The contrast with its old £5,000 valuation remained the most striking part of the story.
Final Verdict
The Leica Luxus II is a camera defined by extremes. It is extremely rare, extremely ornate, and tied to one of the great discovery stories in collecting. For anyone drawn to the history and the romance of vintage Leicas, few cameras hold more fascination.
The auction result keeps the story honest. Even a gold Leica with only four examples did not become the most expensive camera ever, which shows that hype and hammer price do not always meet. The Luxus II is precious, but the market set its own limit.
Still, the camera endures as a symbol. It links a quiet drawer in England to a major Hong Kong auction, and a humble £5,000 valuation to a six-figure sale. Among rare and remarkable cameras, the Leica Luxus II closes the story on a fittingly golden note.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Leica Luxus II?
The Leica Luxus II is a gold-plated, lizard-skin version of the 1932 Leica II rangefinder. Leica built it as a luxury showpiece, and only four were ever made, which makes it one of the rarest Leicas in existence.
How many Leica Luxus II cameras were made?
Leica produced only four Luxus II bodies. The whereabouts of three are unknown, so the example sold at auction is effectively the only one the public can account for.
How much did the Leica Luxus II sell for?
It sold at Bonhams in Hong Kong in 2013 for HK$4.84 million including the buyer’s premium, about £380,000 or $620,000 at the time. That was far above its old valuation but below pre-sale predictions of more than £1 million.
Why was it valued at only £5,000 on Antiques Roadshow?
When the camera appeared on Antiques Roadshow in 2001, the rare-Leica market had not yet peaked, and the appraiser valued it at about £5,000. Recognition of its true rarity, and rising collector demand, pushed later estimates much higher.
What camera is the Luxus II based on?
It is based on the Leica II, or Model D, introduced in 1932. The Leica II was the first Leica with a built-in rangefinder, a key step in the history of 35mm photography.
What made the Luxus models special?
The Luxus models were Leica’s luxury line, finished in gold plating and reptile-skin covering for wealthy buyers. They worked like standard Leicas but were built to look like jewelry, which is part of why so few were made.
