This year, Montblanc is celebrating a remarkable milestone: the 100th anniversary of its iconic Meisterstück fountain pen. First launched in 1924, the Meisterstück has become a symbol of the Maison, thanks to its refined design and precision craftsmanship, perfectly embodying the Montblanc philosophy.
The Maison, in celebration of its centennial, commissioned U.S. director and screenwriter Wes Anderson to create a commercial, a true short film, presented during a special Los Angeles event in the Paramour Estate, a residence that during the Golden Age of Hollywood hosted parties attended by Buster Keaton, Marion Davies, and Norma Shearer.
The story follows three colorful characters, played by actors Rupert Friend and Jason Schwartzman and Wes Anderson himself, to a fictitious Montblanc headquarters on the summit of Mont Blanc. Here the characters present the Maison, its history and its best-known creation in a way never seen before, in the most classic Anderson style, characterized by a distinctive visual aesthetic and eccentric, unconventional storytelling.
Anderson engaged producer and co-director Roman Coppola, producers Jeremy Dawson and John Peet, art director Stephan Gessler, and Linus Sandgren, Oscar-winning cinematographer for La La Land.
MEISTERSTÜCK, AN ICON OF CRAFTSMANSHIP
With the handcrafted solid gold nib with rhodium-coated inlay, the three ring and cigar shape, the Meisterstück is Montblanc‘s most recognizable creation.
The Meisterstück – German for masterpiece – is both a piece of art and a rich slice of history. Almost 100 years after ist first introduction in 1924, the Meisterstück is the most famous writing instrument of any Montblanc collection. The Meisterstück has passed through the hands of cultural and political figures alike, from Nelson Mandela to Yoko Ono and from President Kennedy to Clinton to Obama. Ensuring its popularity hasn’t just come from the famous hands that have wielded it through. Rather, the momentum behind it comes from the hands of Montblanc artisans, who continue to create finely-tuned, superlative writing instruments of the highest possible quality.
The nib is the beating heart of the Meisterstück. To create it, master artisans hand-sculpt precious 14K or 18K gold bands in a process of over 35 skilled steps. Before the nib is approved for final assembly, it must undergo a series of rigorous quality checks. The last of which involves listening to the sound each nib makes as it glides over the paper: only nibs that do not scratch or snag, and thus generate a continuous sound, will pass the final quality inspection.
An instantly recognisable characteristic of the Meisterstück is the number engraved on its nib: 4810. The number reflects the Mont Blanc mountain’s height in meters, underscoring both the brand and the writers continuous drive to reach new limits.
