April 11, 2014
Montblanc's Meisterstück 90th anniversary nib
Germany’s Montblanc is feting the 90th anniversary of its Meisterstück writing instrument with a capsule collection that aims to capture and celebrate the spirit of the line.
The capsule collection includes writing instruments, leather goods, watches and jewelry to appeal to Montblanc enthusiasts. Expanding the celebration beyond writing instruments allows Montblanc to pay homage to its heritage in a way that still targets the differing affinities of its global fan base.
“When you’re in the Montblanc world and you have the the perpetual calendar watch on your wrist or a Meisterstück fountain pen with you, we feel that together it creates the spirit of the Meisterstück as a fine lifetime companion,” said Jerome Lambert, international CEO of Montblanc, Hamburg, Germany.
“The fine craftsmanship of the maison, its style, its sophistication is somehow easier to understand when you see how they combine themselves and work together than just one only,” he said.
“On top of that, some countries are more sensitive to one category than another so with [the capsule] we have the right vehicle in different countries to pass the spirit of the Meisterstück."
Writing culture and beyond
First created in 1924, the Meisterstück fountain pen became the standard of fine writing instruments with a functional design, innovative ink-feeding system and hand-engraved gold nib with iridium tip.
For the 90th anniversary, the Meisterstück writing instrument will be outfitted with red-gold with an engraved “90” on the nib of the fountain pen version. The red-gold plated writing instruments are also available in rollerball and ballpoint and all three included a mother of pearl Montblanc emblem on its cap.
The pens will be presented in a replica of the original Meisterstück sleeve box from 1924.
Meisterstück 90th anniversary fountain pen
In addition, Montblanc has included in the capsule a 90-piece limited-edition of the Meisterstück, in either fountain pen or rollerball style. The Limited Edition pens include a cap ring with 90 diamonds, red gold accents, the mother of pearl emblem and a red gold nib with a rhodium-plated inlay.
Leather goods in the capsule collection for the 90th anniversary of the Meisterstück include handbags, briefcases and device cases made of soft grain Italian cowhide in either black or grey. The leather goods are hand-made in Montblanc’s Pelletteria in Florence.
Items in the Meisterstück capsule collection
A series of watches were also designed for the 90th anniversary of the Meisterstück. For example, the Montblanc Star Classique Automatic also includes red gold, to show consistency among the capsule pieces, on its case, hands and numerals.
Additional watches in the collection are the Meisterstück Heritage Pulsographe, the Meisterstück Heritage Date Automatic, the Meisterstück Heritage Perpetual Calendar and the Meisterstück Heritage Moonphase.
Among the accessories in the collection, Montblanc included sets of cufflinks, bracelets, a keyring and a leather belt with a red gold buckle. The Meisterstück 90th anniversary cufflinks are designed with red gold, black enamel and mother of pearl Montblanc emblem.
Meisterstück 90th anniversary cufflinks
To further the reach of its Meisterstück capsule collection, Montblanc has incorporated a social media initiative that generates conversation while educating about the brand, its products and heritage.
On the brands Facebook and Twitter, Montblanc has been posting daily facts, with the hashtag #90Facts to highlight the importance of the Meisterstück and its anniversary. For example, Fact No. 4 shows an ink bottle with a label inspired by a historic bottle label introduced for the capsule.
Other facts include where the Meisterstück was crafted, the meaning behind 4810 engraved on the Meisterstück’s nib and notes about the design.
Meisterstück #90Facts tweet from Day 4
So much more than a birthday
During a signature product’s anniversary, brands have the opportunity to examine and explore heritage and codes in a new way and fortify the relationship with its enthusiasts.
For example, U.S. jeweler David Yurman feted the 30th anniversary of its signature cable bracelet with a three-part limited-edition capsule collection to appeal to both enthusiasts and aspirational consumers (see story).
Also, Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer celebrated the 50th anniversary of its iconic Carrera timepiece collection through an exclusive event and social media platforms.
The event allowed the watchmaker to show off the history of its Carrera timepieces along with the Porsche Carrera vehicles that inspired them (see story).
A capsule collection must invoke a brand’s DNA to strengthen the relationship with enthusiasts.
"It was very interesting and very important to have our style and the signature of Montblanc and its relation to the history set up as a kind of tone for making it possible to further develop the collection,” Mr.Lambert said. “These things became the recipe of the maison in terms of style, codes, colors and materials.
“We need to have [the codes] understood by everyone to further elaborate and, for that, the Meisterstück 90th anniversary was a very good opportunity,” he said. “What we have discovered is the Meisterstück has a very particular relationship to all those that own one.
“On top of that, it is crystallizing a lot of personal experience and personal relationship to the maison. By doing so, we also worked out the heritage of a long relationship with our clients, and a very personal one.”
Final Take
Jen King, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York
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