Leica Camera said on Nov. 13 it will launch two special editions with a Hammertone finish: the Leica M-A Hammertone and the Leica M11-P Hammertone.

Hammertone is a finishing technique in which metal pigments and special additives create a distinctive texture by producing differences in surface tension during the drying process. It has been used in industrial design since the 1930s but has rarely been applied to Leica cameras. A representative example is the Leica MD Hammertone, of which only 10 units were made in October 1964.

Both models apply a Hammertone finish to brass top and bottom plates. They add a glossy silver shutter button and a black leather-textured exterior material. Leica overhauled the finishing process for this edition, and specialists at its headquarters in Wetzlar, Germany, handled the work.

The M-A Hammertone film camera is a mechanical model that follows the existing M-A specifications. It shoots with manual control of aperture and shutter speed.

The M11-P Hammertone digital camera is equipped with a 60-megapixel full-frame sensor with three-step resolution adjustment technology. It has a "Content Credentials" function to verify content authenticity, 256GB of internal memory and a sapphire glass LCD. It supports integration with the Leica FOTOS app and comes standard with a Hammertone-finished BP-SCL7 battery.

A Leica Camera official said, "This Hammertone edition continues the lineage of rare special models Leica has introduced." The official added, "The two models, capturing the appeal of film and digital respectively, will be a special choice for those who value Leica’s differentiated design and precise technical capabilities."

The two products will be sold at Leica Stores.