Bandai and Ginza Tanaka have teamed up to create a Mobile Suit
Gundam made from pure platinum. Called Gundam Fix Platinum, the
12.5-cm (5-in.) tall, 1.4-kg (3-lb.) work features 89 separate
parts and a head adorned with a 0.15 carat diamond. Hajime Katoki,
a mechanical designer and illustrator noted for his work in a range
of anime and games, oversaw the two-year long production
process.
According to the Bandai press release, the aim of the platinum
Gundam masterpiece is to combine the pure, rare and eternal nature
of platinum with the everlasting Gundam worldview. While Ginza
Tanaka hopes to attract attention to the beauty and value of
platinum, Bandai hopes to boost Gundams name recognition around
the world, nearly 30 years after the first anime episode aired on
Japanese TV.
The platinum Gundam will be exhibited at BASELWORLD 2007, an annual
watch and jewelry show held in Basel, Switzerland beginning April
12. After that, it will return to Japan.
There are currently no plans to sell the Gundam, but Bandai
estimates its value at US$250,000 (30 million
yen).
