“To be asked to design for Beretta,

one of the oldest companies in the world with its roots in the Italian Renaissance, was a great honour.

One of the things I like most about my job as a designer

is the opportunity I get to immerse myself in different industries

and acquire knowledge about their manufacturing processes, materials and technologies.

I am interested in the way things work – it’s a technical obsession.

The main focus for my design of the 486 was to simplify and rationalise all the surfaces.

Specifically streamlining the area of the action.

During the manufacture of my design in the Beretta workshops I  got to observe the fascinating mix of traditional skills employed by Beretta's craftsmen 

in conjunction with the most impressive state-of-the-art engineering processes

  including the use of intricate x-ray equipment, sophisticated laser technology and robotics.

With these standards of ingenuity

I believe that my vision to create an innovative and modern design while respecting the DNA of the product typology

has been spectacularly achieved.”

 “My initial source of inspiration

came from the idea that pheasants originate and are native to Asia,

before being widely introduced elsewhere as a game bird.

For me it was important to somehow pay homage to this and incorporate a subtle Asian influence into the design.

Of any country that I have visited (and lived in) Japan still holds the most interest for me.

I am fascinated by Japanese culture

and in particular the different comprehension of scale and detail.

With this in mind I started to look at Japanese tattoos and the craftsmanship involved in creating complex engravings

as a means to compliment the surfacing of the action.”

Marc Newson