If anyone has watched the recent interpretation of The Talented Mr Ripley on Netflix, the originally titled ‘Ripley’, you will have seen such a plethora of stylish items, from Salvatore Ferragamo shoes to Alfa Romeos, and one of the most focused items appears to be Dickie Greenleaf’s pen. The Montblanc Meisterstuck 149 almost playing a starring role in the series.
Whilst there are many brands that create stunning pens, there really is only one choice when it comes to the real top level writing instruments that people long for. In the same way that Omega might actually make a better diving watch than Rolex, 99% of people still dream of owning a Submariner.
The brand started life in Germany in 1906, producing luxury writing instruments under various different names until 1909 when the name Montblanc became the famous brand that we know today. Inspired by one of the most famous mountains in the world, the emblem that is still used today is their representation of a snow-capped mountain, and features heavily in their products and publicity. Later on, the nibs of all Meisterstuck (German for Masterpiece) pens would be engraved with the number 4810, to represent the height in metres of the mountain the brand is named after.
During World War II, the factory that produced their range was destroyed and they had to rely on a facility in Denmark to produce their instruments, however post war they managed to shine with many new ranges being released and slowly becoming the brand that most people know them as.
During the 1960s and 1970s, and after being taken over by Alfred Dunhill, they became even more exclusive, abandoning the less expensive models and producing even more exquisite and elaborate examples of fantastic writing instruments with celebrities all queuing up to buy them. By the 1980s, if you were a rock star signing a contract, or a world leader signing a negotiation, you would be doing it with a Montblanc.
In the last 40 years, Montblanc has become synonymous with the art collaboration pens that they have embraced with items retailing for around the £8,000 mark, but with their jewelled collaborations have broken records The Montblanc Boheme Royal selling for a staggering £1.1 million. The Collaboration with Van Cleef & Arpels ‘Mystery masterpiece’ selling for just short of £550,000 and numerous other watches within their collections selling for astonishing figures.
The good news is, if you just want to write and enjoy a quality pen, Montblanc still have you covered in 2024 with a lovely ballpoint pen, the Pix available for £240… so if writing is your passion, and even if you aren’t signing multi million pound deals, one can still enjoy the elegance that a good pen brings.
Alastair has been involved in the antiques industry for over 20 years as an auctioneer and valuer. Alastair has a particularly broad knowledge with interests and passions to include the following specialities; militaria, watches, automobilia, rock and pop, posters, comics books, and musical instruments.