Every so often, a project comes along that feels like more than work. It feels like a perfect intersection of craft, design, and personal passion. For us, creating a custom pewter keychain of the Leica Q3 camera for Leica Store Miami was exactly that.
Leica barely needs an introduction to anyone who has even slightly delved into the joys, history, or importance of photography. But for me, it goes deeper, as I have a BFA in photography, collect cameras, and the two artists whose work I’ve admired the most, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank, both carried Leicas through decades of work that profoundly influenced photography and the art world as a whole. So when Leica Store Miami reached out about creating a miniature 3D replica of the Q3, I had one of those “wow, how great is this” moments; it was the feeling of being invited to help honor a tool that shaped so much of the photographic language I love.
Why Pewter?
We often work in die-cast zinc, brass, or aluminum when creating our custom keychains, but pewter was the right choice here. Pewter has a warm, organic luster that feels timeless. Unlike harder alloys, it captures delicate contours beautifully, making it ideal for a project where every line matters and when multiple moldings are required to replicate an entire 3D object — top, bottom and all sides.
The Leica Q3 has a distinctive design, from its compact body to the sculpted lens hood. Pewter allowed us to reproduce those forms in three dimensions with remarkable accuracy. Creating a piece like this required multiple molds, with parts fitted together seamlessly to achieve the finished form.
The result is a tactile, weighty object that feels at home in the hand—much like a Leica camera itself.
Every Detail Matters
Leica fans are some of the most detail-conscious people in the world of photography. They know the feel of a shutter dial, the contour of a thumb rest, and the exact angle of a lens hood. Reproducing the Q3 in miniature meant respecting that devotion.
Every button, dial, and contour was treated with equal care. Any deviation from the original form would have been immediately obvious to the Leica community. That challenge was motivating: precision here was not optional, it was essential.
The Creative Process
The project began the way many of our custom pieces do: with a free digital preview. Leica Store Miami found us online and requested a proof of concept. From there, the process became highly collaborative. Their feedback guided refinements at every stage, ensuring the finished piece aligned with their expectations.
This is the art of pewter at its best: not just casting metal, but sculpting with intent, iterating with input, and persevering through the parts that initially feel impossible. Often in projects like this, there’s a moment where you wonder if the technical limits can be overcome. But with persistence and collaboration, the envisioned result emerges.
Pewter in Our Portfolio
Another favorite project was creating the “DeathProof Duck” keychains for the same company that produced Grammy Award statues. Pewter was chosen there for the same reason: its ability to render 3D forms with warmth and authenticity.
We’ve developed a reputation for pewter work precisely because it requires patience, artistry, and technical know-how that not every promotional products company offers. While many firms outsource pewter jobs, we’ve embraced it as a medium where true artistry can shine.
A Personal Note on Design
I’ve always appreciated small, solid, finely made metal objects — something I was flattered to read Steve Jobs saying he loved as well. During the introduction of the iPhone 4, at the 2:15 mark of the keynote, he said the iPhone 4's “closest kin is like a beautiful old Leica camera”. That stuck with me over the years as it captured what I and so many admire about Leica: precision, density, intentional design, and the feeling of a tool that’s meant to be held and used.
Closing Thoughts
Custom projects like this show what pewter can achieve, but more importantly, they remind us why these objects matter. For Leica fans, a keychain like this isn’t just branded merchandise; it’s a miniature sculpture, a tribute to a beloved camera.
As Leica has shown photographers for nearly a century, sometimes it’s the small things—the decisive moment, the careful detail—that matter most.
