Spotted: LTM Leica with unusual stepped shutter speed dial -- flash sync or something else?

[Trask]

While browsing online checking out LTM Leica camera bodies, I came across one -- said to be a IIIa -- for sale in the U.K. that sports an unusual shutter speed dial -- see the photos. It is stepped so that part of the dial is taller than the rest of the dial -- it looks to me like the dial is of one piece, not a regular dial with something glued/screwed on top. I note that the camera has a flash sync installed on the front near the slow speed dial. My first guess was that the stepped dial was part of a sync system -- maybe some sort of lobed cam that engaged a shoe-mounted bulb flash as the dial rotated during exposure. But this body has a sync on the front -- could it have had two sync systems over the years? It's a mystery to me, but I'm willing to bet that someone here on Photrio has seen this before and will reveal the answer!

 

[BradS]

Weird. It looks like a small piece glued on to me. Perhaps, the camera was upgraded and part of the upgrade changed/added shutter speeds and this was their way of dealing with that? IDK.

 

[Nitroplait]

Never seen this before, but I have seen some pretty weird pre WWII non-standard flash sync implementations - I wouldn't be surprised if this was one.
It would be fun to see how it would have engaged with the flash.

If no definitive answer surfaces here, you could consider posting it in the Leica Collectors/Historica Forum https://www.l-camera-forum.com/forum/35-leica-collectors-historica/

 

[madNbad]

The stepped shutter speed dial is for use with the Leitz VACU flash. A local shop had the full flash kit with a IIIC several years ago and no one knew what it was.

https://gmpphoto.blogspot.com/2012/03/leitz-vacu.html

 

[Nitroplait]

The stepped shutter speed dial is for use with the Leitz VACU flash. A local shop had the full flash kit with a IIIC several years ago and no one knew what it was.

https://gmpphoto.blogspot.com/2012/03/leitz-vacu.html

Cool! Unless you’re left eye dominant.

 

[Mr Flibble]

A company named Geiss also made flash accessories for LTM Leicas that attached to the shutter speed dial and hit a trigger mounted in the cold shoe.

 

[Saganich]

Could be a regular II to III conversion based on shutter upgrade.