WSJ.

The Custom $175K Shotgun Coveted by Pop Stars & Royalty

Recession or no, certain truly unique and exclusive handcrafted luxury items remain in very high demand. The Fall issue of WSJ., The Wall Street Journal's glossy magazine, reports that there's currently a five-year waiting list for the custom $175,000 shotguns made by Italian master Tullio Fabbri. Fabbri marries high-tech fabrication - the guns' locking mechanisms are coated in diamond dust to increase durability - with classic Brescian engraving on the metalwork that looks like embroidered lace. He has made guns for celebs like Steven Spielberg, Eric Clapton and King Juan Carlos of Spain, as well as Mexican-born pop singer Thalia, pictured above with her Fabbri 20-gauge. Fabbri's father began the business in 1965 in a small shop in the Valle Trompia, a legendary valley in northern Italy that has been home to gunmakers since the 16th century. Fabbri only makes 30 guns per year, hence the waiting list. Italian artisans spend 400 - 600 hours etching the metalwork on each gun, which can add $50,000 or more to the price. Thalia's husband, music mogul Tommy Mottola, tells the magazine that "Tullio's work is as good as a Picasso."

Tags: celebrity, diamond, Eric Clapton, EricClapton, guns, hunting, Italy, shotgun, shotguns, sporting, Steven Spielberg, StevenSpielberg, Thalia, Tommy Mottola, TommyMottola, Tullio Fabbri, TullioFabbri, wall street journal, WallStreetJournal, WSJ.

Wall Street Journal Goes Glossy

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events

The Wall Street Journal is known for its insightful reporting on the business world but can the name be associated with a full-color, eye-candy luxury magazine with the same success? We'll soon find out as WSJ. (the new magazine spun off from the Journal) is gathering its advertisers, setting up shop and coming to a doorstep near you around September...that is if your median household income is $300,000 or greater. Newsprint has seen a decline in advertisers (and therefore revenue) lately but the hope for the Journal is that this lux-savvy mag will bring a financial boost and larger base of clients with it, the kind of thing that can directly compete with the New York Times T Magazine.

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Tags: Rupert-Murdoch, Tina-Gaudoin, wall-street-journal, WSJ.