One would think that amidst all the, wars, conquests, political intrigue and endless scandals, someone in Europe would have thought to climb to the top of the continent’s highest mountain. (For the fun of it if nothing else, as mountain-climbing is a delightful hobby.) This particular mountain sits directly on the French-Italian border in the Alps and remained completely unconquered for centuries. Vague interest in climbing the mountain began around the middle of the 18th century, but it was not until 1760 when Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, a Swiss mountain-climber, sparked a European-wide obsession by announcing that he would give a monetary reward to the first person to climb the mountain. Immediately, untold attempts were made to reach the top of the mountain’s mysterious peak that had yet to see a trace of human life. On August 8th, 1786 Jacques Balmot, a Savoyan mountain guide, and Michel-Gabriel Paccard, a Savoyan doctor and alpinist, were the first ones to successfully reach the crown of this natural phenomenon. They reached the peak of Mont Blanc; or, as the Italians call it, Monte Bianco.
For over a century, the Montblanc Company has made some of the world’s finest pens. Their name has been synonymous with craftsmanship, expertise and innovative design. Montblanc has always taken pride in its namesake by incorporating aspects of the great mountain into nearly all their pen designs. In fact, their very logo – a rounded six-pointed white star – represents Mont Blanc’s six glaciers and snow-capped peak. The number 4810 – the height of the mountain – occurs frequently in their collections, whether it’s a simple engraving onto the pens or the quantity of a collection. This year, Montblanc has decided to pay a more direct tribute by giving Mont Blanc its very own collection. The new “Montblanc Meisterstück: Tribute to the Mont Blanc” collection is a timeless compilation of the finest skill, artistry and care that European craftsmanship can produce. Every aspect of this new collection – from the barrels to the nibs, from the cartridges to the clips, and from the emblem to the engravings – contains components that are carefully selected by master craftsmen. Each of mont blanc pens is created with a special diligence and dedication that marks each pen as a Meisterstück – a masterpiece.
By their very nature pens are common and unassuming, but Mont blanc has turned these simple instruments into works of art that would put the finest jewelry to shame. To begin, the Montblanc emblem at the top of each pen is carved from beautiful, luminescent snow quartz. This is the only Montblanc collection that uses these precious minerals in the emblem. The pure-white, marble design represents the perfect, eternal snow that sits undisturbed at Mont Blanc’s peak. As for the barrel design, Montblanc took inspiration from the exact moment when sunlight reflects off the sleek glacial ice that covers Mont Blanc. To replicate this priceless reflection of nature, the pen barrels have a snow-white lacquering that is shined to a high, crystal-like gloss. Montblanc Meisterstuck Tribute to the Mont blanc fountain pen has a stunning 18k rhodium-plated nib that is just as captivating as it is unique.
These exquisite accents alone would make the pen almost prettier than the mountain it represents, but Montblanc has never been satisfied with excellence when they can hear perfection echoing from the mountain peaks. To answer perfection’s call, Montblanc has added a special element to the metal foreparts of their pens. A panoramic view of the Mont Blanc massif – for those of you who are not mountain-savvy, a massif is a group of mountains that form a specific mountain range – is engraved into the foreparts’ platinum-plating. There is an inscription above the image that lists some of the tallest and most famous peaks of the massif and their altitudes. With arrows pointing to the mountain it represents, the labels read: Mont Blanc (4810 m), Dômes de Miage (3670 m), Aig. de la Bérangère (3425 m), Aiguille de Tré la Tête (3930 m), Aig. de la Lex Blanche (3697 m), Aiguille des Glaciers (3817 m), Glacier de Tré la Tête, Dôme du Goûter (4304 m) and Aig. de Bionnassay (4052 m). These informations are laser engraved on both Fountain pen and Rollerball pen quite visibly unlike the ballpoint pen due to the lack of grip section in the ballpoint pen.
The beautifully simplistic text and artfully engraved mountains shimmer incandescently in the metal’s matt silken sheen. The foreparts are available in two distinct colors. Whether it’s pale white gold, reminiscent of frozen winter skies, or subtle rose gold, a color that evokes the image of a faded sunset, each theme will compliment the other accents of the pen to create an instrument of awe-inspiring beauty.
There is no finer or more reliable companion than a pen, and there is no finer pen than those in the Tribute to the Mont Blanc collection. These pens transmit an air of grace, quality and prestige that cannot be duplicated. They are impeccable, everlasting masterpieces that will become the crown jewels of any pen enthusiast’s collection.
In 1786, two gentlemen set forth with a desire to achieve what was previously an unthinkable, inhuman feat. This year, Montblanc set forth with a similar desire, and excluding the mountain in itself, these visionaries have one important thing in common: they have achieved the pinnacle of greatness.
