Mont Blanc - 100 Years of Soulmaking
Johnny Depp was there. Naomi Campbell was there. And many of the world’s leading travel retailers were there. The occasion was a remarkable celebration of 100 years in luxury by writing instruments to jewelry group Mont Blanc, where the company unveiled the extraordinary Mont Blanc diamond, cut with 43 facets in the shape of the legendary Mont Blanc star.
In 2006 Mont Blanc completed one hundred years and I wasn’t even aware of it. I learnt about it only recently, when I picked up another Mont Blanc Catalog, this one titled “Feelings- One Hundred Years of Mont Blanc”.
I got this 92-page, magazine sized catalog real cheap but it had a wealth of information, photographs, illustrations and statements from prominent writers that make this issue a collector’s item. Though I love fountain pens I hadn’t taken much trouble learning about the history of famous brands. But now I have decided to educate myself about the famous brands, and started with… Mont Blanc.
In 1906 Claus Johannes Voss, Alfred Nehemias and August Eberstein wanted to create superior writing instruments… the Simplo-Filler Pen Company was formed in Hamburg, Germany. In 1909, they changed the company name to the official trade name of Mont Blanc, the new name of the new fountain pens with the simple-to-use, built-in inkwell. As the three gentlemen realized that they were creating writing instruments of the highest quality, and with Mont Blanc being the highest peak in Europe, Mont Blanc was born, with the lofty goal of reaching the highest peaks of quality…
Only 3 years later, by 1913, in what can be seen as the most brilliant of all marketing steps, the white cap symbol of Mont Blanc was introduced to the public for the first time. It was, again, an insightful revelation of the founders that the snow-covered peak of Mont Blanc could so effectively serve as the brand’s most recognizable symbol. The internationally famous Mont Blanc star was born.
Although styles have changed over the years, the basic shape of the first Meisterstücks have remained true to form. You can still find the original shapes on sale at the many boutiques around the world. From 1906 all the way through to the present day, Mont Blanc has continued to surpass the quality line… With an ever increasing new range of both writing instruments and other types of accessories from jewelry to sunglasses, perfume to briefcases, wallets to cufflinks, watches to key rings, and many others.
Mont Blanc will always be the leader in quality and status. In 1992, Mont Blanc introduced the signature range of pens, with names like: Agatha Christie; Cervantes; Voltaire and Mozart, etc… you are sure to find a quality instrument that will reflect your personality and lifestyle.
The Northern German brand, named after the mountain, having enjoyed an extraordinary reputation for their pens and leather goods for many years, started up its watch production in the mid-nineties. Initially there were skeptical remarks about the timepieces, including many insiders who questioned the logic of the move, but the well-established brand with its new product group was quickly successful.
But even with all that information, what truly makes Mont Blanc stand out from the crowd? Is it the quality design? The name? The personal touch? The upscale status? As a user of Mont Blanc for many years, I have to say that for me, it is a strong combination of all of these reasons.
As Mont Blanc starts its second century this year, they have adopted the slogan ‘Soulmakers for 100 Years’ …with this they have brought a new and even classier range of writing instruments to you. With the launch of these items comes the new era, ever more chic and far more elegant to reflect the changes of time from a century past. Mont Blanc is poised to be the highest peak of perfection and status for another century of ‘Soulmaking’.
In commemoration of its centennial celebrations, several masterpieces have been specially created – such as the Mont Blanc Meisterstück Solitaire 100 edition. It comes in 750 yellow, red or white gold, with other rare materials. Indeed, a very rare ivory is used in the Meisterstuck Solitaire 100 collection… don’t cry out in aberration… its Mammoth Ivory, perfectly conserved in the Tundra of icy Siberia for millions of years.
To further solidify the quality of excellence, Mont Blanc also uses a top grade Wesselton Diamond that has been specially cut and patented in the form of the Mont Blanc star – and adorns all their Centenary Limited Editions.
On the occasion of the anniversary, explained Lutz Bethge, CEO of Montblanc International, a special, now patented brilliant cut diamond in the exact shape of the Montblanc star had been created after eight years of development.
This diamond of Top-Wesselton quality adorns a special edition of the Meisterstück (Masterpiece), its most successful fountain pen. Its cap has a half round cut original piece of granite from Europe’s highest mountain in the Mont Blanc.
More available, is the Meisterstück Solitaire 1906, the cap made of granite from the ‘Mont Blanc Massive’ mountain range itself, the barrel crafted from lustrous sterling silver, the star being a high grade Wesselton Diamond and with an 18K nib, this is truly a Meisterstück, (Meisterstück is German for ‘Masterpiece’, name used for exporting pens to UK and US). With only a 20kg block of granite to work from, the master craftsmen at Mont Blanc had to be very careful to get only the best strata they could from it. With only 1,906 of these exquisite pieces having been released, it is only available at selected boutiques around the world.
Mont Blanc has also released an extremely Limited Edition of only three pens on a worldwide basis “the Mont Blanc 100 Years Solitaire Mountain Massive Skeleton 2006″. What makes this so rare… read on: A perfectly formed cap and cone that silhouettes the snow capped mountain of Mont Blanc itself, studded with 1277 white and 123 blue diamonds to give the impression of snow and the eternally blue ice of the mountains glacier shaped to the skyline of the range itself.
Inside the cap is a further diamond for the floating star, cut to perfection with 43 facets. A diamond is the symbol of perfection and eternity. Montblanc has initiated another first, by becoming the first and only brand to have a diamond as its world renowned logo. By the way, as there are only three of these writing instruments worldwide, they will set you back around $300,000.
Mont Blanc has a range of different writing instruments that will suit the individual, fountain pens, roller-balls and fine-liners. They all have their own characteristics, but all of them are made with the same attention to quality. They all have Mont Blanc serial numbers, carry their own worldwide guarantee and have the proof of quality that is both demanded and expected in today’s crazy world. For the fountain pen range, all of the interchangeable nibs are stamped with the Mont Blanc name, and figures ‘4810′… why? Because this is the exact height of the summit of the mountain itself.
Love them or not, we all know that Mont Blanc is a status symbol of quality, upscale, elegance and fashion style.
