Limited edition platinum model car unveiled

A limited edition platinum model of a famous car has been unveiled in honor of the 40th Tomica anniversary.
Jeweller Ginza Tanaka has created a platinum replica of the Tomica Z432 model, based on the 1970 Nissan Fairlady Z432.

Although it is not for sale, the one-off has been valued by Tomica at $80,000 and it recently went on display at the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show. It will be shown at the Osaka Tomica Fair in April.

Using platinum to make a car model may seem an interesting choice, but it should be remembered that the precious metal plays an important role in the motoring industry.
The material is often used in catalytic converters, which help to reduce the toxicity from engine emissions.

Of course, platinum is also regularly used for limited edition jewellery pieces, such as the Patrimony Traditionnelle Calibre 2253 watch recently released by Vacheron Constantin.
Its case and dial was made from platinum while complications included a perpetual calendar and an equation of time, sunset and sunrise.