In the realm of writing and mountaineering, German brand Montblanc remains at the forefront of capturing the luxury market, telling captivating stories, and offering the best of exquisite writing instruments.
Montblanc’s artful masters put their souls into creating pieces that symbolise the values that shape the brand and products that are made to withstand the test of time, which clearly shows in the quality and craftsmanship. Like the mountain itself, the Richemont-owned brand is unyielding in being the leader in what they do.
The First Ascent of the Mont Blanc
In honouring the first ascent of the Mont Blanc summit, Europe’s highest peak, and the pioneering spirit of the Maison, Montblanc has unveiled a limited-edition collection of stunning writing instruments. Taking craftsmanship to greater heights, the High Artistry The First Ascent of the Mont Blanc Limited Edition features five detailed and grand designs, each with its unique appeal and shine.
“A tribute to pioneers, glaciers and mountaineering”, indeed. In all five pens, the maîtres d’art of the Montblanc Artisan Atelier showcased a wide variety of time-honoured skills like marquetry, enamelling, and intricate stone setting.
For instance, the Montblanc Limited Edition 5 combines precious metals and gemstones “in a symphony of subtle tributes to the history of alpinism on the Mont Blanc massif”. The cap is wrapped with the majestic mountain in rare artisan marquetry work and seventeen different shades and materials — delicate parchment, sparkling mother-of-pearl, leathers and a selection of premium woods. Its clip is a replica of the alpenstock and axe, two of the most essential tools used by the first climbers to reach the summit of Mont Blanc in 1786. To top it all off, the nib is handcrafted from Au 750 solid rose-tone gold, decorated with a three-dimensional edelweiss flower and a cognac-coloured sapphire.
As for the Montblanc Limited Edition 10, the cap is made from the mountain’s granite and refined with a lacquered engraving of ‘JqB 1786’ — the initials of mountaineer Jacques Balmat and the year of the first ascent. And on the top of the cap is a detachable rounded rock crystal with the Mont Blanc massif beautifully shaped in the centre. In reference to Balmat’s search for gold, the space created within the mountain massif is occupied by unrefined Au 750 solid yellow gold.
These decorative pens are the perfect addition to the pocket of your suit jacket. With proud narratives radiating from every part of these pens, each one is a luxurious accessory to have in hand while you tell new stories and make your mark on paper.
Montblanc Haus
Another climb up the plateau. On Tuesday, 10 May, the luxury manufacturer officially opened the Montblanc Haus in Hamburg, Germany. The sleek, black building is exactly what one would expect of a classy brand like Montblanc. It is situated right beside Montblanc’s headquarters and its production facilities for its resin writing instruments and hand-ground gold nibs.
During the opening of Hamburg’s newest landmark, VIP guests from around the world attended the special event — having a first look inside the impressive building and being inspired by Montblanc’s role in shaping the culture of writing. The esteemed guests include Oscar Isaac, Peggy Gou, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Daniel Brühl, Feng Tang, Waris Ahluwalia and Jamie Cullum. Like every visitor to step into Montblanc’s world of writing and craftsmanship, these guests were invited to explore the incredible power of handwriting, as well as the creativity, imagination and emotion it unlocks in everyone.
A tribute to the art of writing and reminiscent of the brand’s historic pen packaging, the three-story building houses exhibition spaces, writing ateliers, a café, a boutique, an archive and an academy. The immersive brand experience — which is a must for many as it becomes a norm for luxury houses to push out the most unforgettable experiences — is a place to inspire writing.
Nicolas Baretzki, Montblanc’s CEO, said it is about celebrating writing. “We want people to understand why handwriting is important; what are all the philosophical and cultural ideas behind writing? If people leave with some excitement and inspiration, I believe we have done the right job,” he shared, as per WWD.
Inside, you can find High Artistry pens adorned with diamonds, eye-catching Art Deco advertising posters and clients’ penmanship from across the globe. There is even a small leather book with autographs of The Beatles. Other than the stories of Montblanc, from the founding days to the precise crafters and the brand’s progress, Mountblanc Haus teaches all the art of writing and is devoted to spectacular stories that are yet to be written.
Autographs by The Beatles are on display. Image: Daniel Schaefer/Montblanc
According to executive vice president of marketing Vincent Montalescot, Montblanc Haus was “five years in the making, with teams digging deeply in the archives”.
“The Montblanc Haus has allowed us to uncover some treasures from our archive that we are eager to share with the world. This experience is not only dedicated to all the incredible stories that have been written over time including our very own, but to all the great stories that are yet to be written, as we invite our visitors to be inspired to leave their mark”, said Montalescot.
The digital guestbook experience for visitors to leave their own mark.
Image: Daniel Schaefer/Montblanc
The Montblanc Haus will be open to the public from 16 May 2022. The landmark’s first temporary exhibition, “30 Years of the Patron of Arts“, celebrates the Patron of Art limited edition for over 30 years and promotes the idea of ‘collecting’. This exhibition will be open to visitors until October 2022.
Unwavering Growth
Instead of falling short in sales or worrying about convincing customers, Montblanc is seemingly doing well. Baretzki said the company is over pre-Covid-19 figures and that “the big challenge these days is producing enough to meet demand”.
The brand is managing a spike in demand for its high-priced products, not something that most would expect since everything is extremely digitalised now. Additionally, its recent collaboration with Ferrari, a blazing red Great Characters Enzo Ferrari Special Edition Ballpoint Pen, reportedly sold out in a few days. Montblanc, if anything, is sure to stay above and beyond summits while meeting the expectations of its customers.
Moving onwards, Montblanc is uncovering a new theme and collection by its artistic director Marco Tomasetta. The event will be on 22 June in Paris, during Men’s Fashion Week.
