If the typical pen is a pen, consider the Montblanc Meisterstück a writing instrument in the truest and finest senses of the word. This year, the iconic piece celebrates its one-hundredth anniversary, a century of fine writing that actually predates the name “Montblanc” entirely. (Back then, the brand was known as “Simplo”.)
In that time, the Meisterstück has endured and remained a staple of discerning men and women of letters the world over. This year, to mark its centennial, Montblanc has enlisted brand ambassadors Rupert Friend and Maude Apatow to showcase its signature leather line, the Meisterstück Collection.
A century of peerless writing deserves its own accompaniment, and the Meisterstück Collection delivers the epitome of sophisticated luxury among the Maison’s leather collections.
This new extended Meisterstück Collection spotlights a deep British green shade retrieved from Montblanc archives, where the color could be seen on a historical Meisterstück writing instrument from the 1920s. Channeling this archival influence, Montblanc Artistic Director Marco Tomasetta found additional inspiration for the collection from a stained heritage ink bottle, leading to the creation of the captivating sfumato effect.
This blurring effect softly transitions from darker colors at the bottom of each leather piece to lighter tones at the top, evoking the process of ink slowly diffusing into paper. As the effect is manually applied via airbrush on the finished leather product at the end of the production process, each sfumato piece is adorned with its own finish and becomes a testament of craftsmanship nurtured over time.
Montblanc 149 Bag
Document Case
Messenger
“The visual identity of this collection is rooted in the iconic design elements of one of the most celebrated symbols of writing culture. As a collection that is always evolving with versatile and adaptable designs, the latest pieces explore an additional dimension of the Meisterstück through a deep green shade found in its past and play with design details inspired by the beauty of ink and the effect it creates as it takes hold,” Tomasetta said.
The extended collection reimagines timeless shapes that play with large and small volumes, all presented in the collection’s signature smooth leather with a brilliant finish.
The Meisterstück’s origin is as rich as its long history. The story goes that some customers began to request a writing instrument for “Sunday-use” – that is, one that would be special, offering a finer experience not meant for everyday use.
Coincidentally, craftsmen who had spent years honing their savoir-faire were already developing personal projects and creating one-of-a-kind writing instruments for themselves. Because they exhibited highly advanced craftsmanship, these creations were known as Meisterstück, meaning “masterpiece” in German. This fateful coincidence gave rise to the first Meisterstück collection that quickly rose to the status of a cultural icon, one that is still synonymous with Montblanc.
Since then, the Meisterstück’s silhouette has been adapted and reimagined in a multitude of writing modes, been skeletonized, and even become the canvas for celebrated collaborations.
But despite the many variations, this timeless writing instrument has retained its core design codes and continues inspiring as a symbol of writing culture.
Shop the Montblanc Meisterstück Collection at Montblanc on the Lower Level.
