Photo: Leica Camera AG
Today, Zagato hints at Italian aftermarket. It’s the name of an independent coach building company and total design center based in Milan. It’s founder, Uga Zagato, however, did a lot more than just improving stock cars, he advanced the automotive industry entirely. A similar thing can be said about Leica too, which is why a partnership between these companies comes naturally.
So here’s what’s going on. Leica Camera AG has unveiled today the Leica Ultravid 8x32 ‘Edition Zagato’ a special limited edition binoculars sets, created in collaboration with Zagato. Such collaboration may seem rather odd for some, but you should know they’re not. To understand this, we need to look back first.
Ugo Zagato was a visionary who began his coachbuilding career in 1919 when he left Officine Aeronautiche Pomilio to set up his own business in Milan. In those days, cars were bulky and heavy, two features that affected their speed capacities. The Italian mechanic, however, transferred sophisticated constructional techniques that combined lightness with strength from the aeronautics to the automotive sector. This shift in direction changed the whole automotive game, particularly in Europe, where the adoption of the concept of functionalism was applied to automotive design.
Leica, on the other hand, has a similar story. The name itself is a combination of the first three letter of Ernst Leitz surname and the first two from the word camera - lei-ca. Similar to what happened in Milan, the first 35mm film Leica prototypes were built by Oskar Barnack at Ernst Leitz Optische Werke, Wetzlar, in 1913. It was intended as a compact camera for landscape photography, particularly during mountain trips. The Leica was the first practical 35 mm camera that used standard cinema 35 mm film. The rest of the story is history.
Getting back to the collaboration in question, we should mention that the Leica Ultravid 8x32 ‘Eiditon Zagato’ blends elegant design with cutting-edge optical technology, and is strictly limited to just 1,000 sets globally.
“These exclusive binoculars have been meticulously crafted with an aluminum outer shell, featuring hundreds of fine grooves milled into the surface – resulting in exceptional styling and a unique, tactile finish. Furthermore, the front lenses are adorned with two red anodized rings inscribed with the ‘Zagato’ name,” its creators detail.
Ugo Zagato was a visionary who began his coachbuilding career in 1919 when he left Officine Aeronautiche Pomilio to set up his own business in Milan. In those days, cars were bulky and heavy, two features that affected their speed capacities. The Italian mechanic, however, transferred sophisticated constructional techniques that combined lightness with strength from the aeronautics to the automotive sector. This shift in direction changed the whole automotive game, particularly in Europe, where the adoption of the concept of functionalism was applied to automotive design.
Leica, on the other hand, has a similar story. The name itself is a combination of the first three letter of Ernst Leitz surname and the first two from the word camera - lei-ca. Similar to what happened in Milan, the first 35mm film Leica prototypes were built by Oskar Barnack at Ernst Leitz Optische Werke, Wetzlar, in 1913. It was intended as a compact camera for landscape photography, particularly during mountain trips. The Leica was the first practical 35 mm camera that used standard cinema 35 mm film. The rest of the story is history.
Getting back to the collaboration in question, we should mention that the Leica Ultravid 8x32 ‘Eiditon Zagato’ blends elegant design with cutting-edge optical technology, and is strictly limited to just 1,000 sets globally.
“These exclusive binoculars have been meticulously crafted with an aluminum outer shell, featuring hundreds of fine grooves milled into the surface – resulting in exceptional styling and a unique, tactile finish. Furthermore, the front lenses are adorned with two red anodized rings inscribed with the ‘Zagato’ name,” its creators detail.
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