This week marked the 140th anniversary of the birth of Indian independence pioneer Mahatma Gandhi.

And to commemorate a man who chose a life of poverty and shunned material goods, Montblanc has created a limited-edition pen with a price tag of $25,000.

Just 241 of the handmade pens will be sold, in reference to the number of miles Gandhi walked in his famous march against salt taxes in 1930.

Luxury groups are turning to films, the Internet and private dinners to attract customers as they search for more cost-effective ways to advertise to fight falling sales, executives told the Reuters Global Luxury Summit.

Hermes is increasing its overall marketing budget by just under 10 percent this year to a touch above 100 million euros but only a third will be on advertising, Chief Executive Patrick Thomas said.

“The rest of the budget goes on shop windows, exhibitions, private public relations operations,” he said, including invitations to 10-15 customers to themed store openings.

The Montblanc Skeleton 333 is a tribute, true to the last detail, to this first-ever skeletonised fountain pen made by Montblanc almost 10 years ago. To celebrate the 75th birthday of the “Meisterstück”, or “Masterpiece”, in 1999, Montblanc’s master craftsmen created the first fountain pen in history to use this delicate technique: the Montblanc Meisterstück 149, which caused a sensation all around the world.

The highly sophisticated art of skeletonising, a precise craft by which parts of the barrel of a writing instrument are exposed, transforms it into a transparent work of art.

The transparent, platinum-plated barrel artistically reveals the delicate workings of this much sought-after collectors’ item down to the last detail.
The cap is decorated by a Montblanc star in shimmering mother-of-pearl, and the rhodium-plated 18-karat gold nib captures the eye with its delicate hand engravings.

Alexander has created a limited edition diamond Mont Blanc handcrafted pen exclusively for the elite in aid of charity.

Amosu Diamond Meisterstück fountain pens have been handmade with 77 diamonds, and feature 0.45 carats of VS, F grade diamonds with a choice of white, black, pink, brown or blue diamonds set into the gold clip.

The pen’s ubiquitous style features an 18k gold nib, platinum inlay and black precious resin cap.

Nicolas Rieussec is of course the noted and lauded inventor of the chronograph mechanism, with the actual writing of time via ink on the dial.

Today, the chronograph in a wristwatch of course uses hands, subdials, rotating discs, retrograde displays and others to display elapsed time.

For its part, Montblanc introduces a monopusher chronograph with an in-house movement to complement its haute horlogerie line and has obtained rights to use the name Nicolas Rieussec, hence the name of this piece.

The masterly combination of highest writing culture and first-class jewellery craftsmanship is revealed in the six magnificent fountain pens in the Montblanc Limited Edition “Boheme Papillon”.

Crafted in the solid white, yellow or rose gold, the pens are studded with over 1,400 scintillating diamonds and sapphires which delicately wrap around the body in three levels and onto the internal spring mechanism. Fragile butterflies and Keatsian plant tendrils adorn the cap and the body while the patented signature star-shaped Montblanc Diamond graces the top of the cap.

The limited edition Boheme Papillon is priced at 180,000 Euros.