Montblanc (company)

Montblanc International GmbH

Company type	Subsidiary of Richemont Group
Industry	Luxury goods
Founded	1906 (1906)
Headquarters	Hamburg , Germany
Number of locations	449 Boutiques (2012)
Key people	Nicolas Baretzki (CEO)
Products	Pens, Leather, Watches, Jewellery, Sunglasses, Perfume, Cufflinks
Parent	Richemont
Website	www.montblanc.com

Montblanc International GmbH (pronounced: [mo(n) blaw(n)] or [mon blaan(k)]) is a German manufacturer of luxury writing instruments, watches, jewellery and leather goods, often identified by their "Snow peak" logo.

History

A Hamburg banker, Alfred Nehemias, and a Berlin engineer, August Eberstein, produced simple pens in 1906. After a short period of time Wilhelm Dziambor, Christian Lausen and later Claus Johannes Voss took over the business. Their first model was the Rouge et Noir in 1909 followed in 1910 by the pen that was later to give the company its new name, Montblanc. The Meisterstück name (English: "Masterpiece", the name used for export) was used for the first time in 1924. Today, the Montblanc brand is on other goods besides pens, including watches, jewellery, fragrances, leather goods and eyewear.

The company was acquired by dunhill in 1977, following which lower price pens were dropped and the brand was used on a wide range of luxury goods other than pens.

Today, Montblanc forms part of the Richemont group. Its sister companies include luxury brands Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chloé, and Baume et Mercier. Montblanc is owned, through Richemont, by the South African Rupert family.

Branding

Meisterstück 146 (top) and 149 fountain pens

A trademark identified with Montblanc is the white stylized six-pointed snowcap with rounded edges, representative of the Mont Blanc snowcap from above, the symbol being adopted in 1913. The number "4810," the mountain's height in meters, is also a commonly recurring theme.

In January 2014, Hugh Jackman was announced as Montblanc's Global Brand Ambassador, outside of US.

Characteristics

Montblanc makes several models of pens, with the Meisterstück (fountain pen) representing the cornerstone model. Each model is slightly different, however models created after 1990 have a serial number located on the ring at the top of the clip. Under the clip is usually the words "Made in Germany" and often "Pix". Moreover, the barrel of the pen will reveal a reddish hue under strong lighting. If the pen in question does not have these attributes then it is possibly a fake.

Website blocking

In October 2014 the first blocking order against trademark infringing consumer goods was passed against the major UK ISPs by Richemont, Cartier International and Montblanc to block several domains selling trademark infringing products.

Image gallery

• 
  The Montblanc Meisterstück 149 with a Longines DolceVita Chronograph.
• 
  The Montblanc Meisterstück 149 (pictured on the right), circa 1978-1980 with regards to date of production, features a rare "14C" nib. A modern Diplomat, circa 2006, is pictured on the left with a 18K Medium (M) nib.
• 
  Montblanc F. Scott Fitzgerald Writers Limited Edition fountain pen from 2002 in double-broad (BB) nib. Only 18,500 fountain pens of this Writers Edition were produced, where 4,500 were found in complete "sets". Fitzgerald's signature is clearly engraved on the cap; this is a feature found on all Writers Edition pens.
• 
  BB Nib engraving of the Montblanc F. Scott Fitzgerald Writers LE FP. The engraving on this particular Writers Edition is an Art Deco landscape, celebrating Fitzgerald's most celebrated literary achievement - The Great Gatsby.
• 
  The Montblanc Solitaire Diamond of the 100th Anniversary StarWalker Ball Pen (left) and the floating Montblanc Star (right)
• 
  The Montblanc Meisterstück cufflinks - gold and onyx.
• 
  Sterling Silver Montblanc pencil, biro, and black leather case.

External links

• Official international site