Montblanc values

4,810 Times Quality

4,810, the number on the nib of every Meisterstück, stands for the height of the highest mountain in the Alps. 4,810 pieces of the Limited Editions are made every year, 4,810 diamonds embellish the Meisterstück Solitaire Royal. As consistent as the way in which the height of the eponymous mountain runs through the collection are the quality guidelines within the company, which have been followed for the past 100 years. When the owner of a Meisterstück holds his new writing instrument in his hands for the first time, this handmade work of art can already tell a long story. In the same way as all those involved in the creative process infuse this pen with their passion, patience and skill – breathing into it, so to speak, a soul – the ink flows onto the paper like liquid thoughts. The Meisterstück, which goes through countless production and test phases, is born out of the passion to create something for eternity – something precious for its owner, to be passed on to coming generations.

The High Priestess of Ritual

Ayla Wendt lets the nib dance over the paper in calm, controlled circles again and again. She has perfected her work over more than twenty years: in complete composure she listens to the melody made by the nib on the paper. Her trained ear and her sensitive finger-tips can tell whether the nib is of the desired quality. If there is the slightest dissonance, which the untrained ear cannot detect, the nib is sent back to production to be corrected. The necessary calm and patience come from the personality of Ayla Wendt, who prefers listening to talking. How did she acquire this exceptional skill? By listening, observing and practising, she says. Over the years she has developed a feeling for her work and refined the empathy needed. A prerequisite for her professionalism is her unconditional commitment to the unique product, the complete attention she pays to every single nib.

The Magic Hand

Lothar Lips began his apprenticeship at Montblanc when he was 16 years old. In the meantime, he is a ‘Meister’ in leather, following in his father’s footsteps, has been responsible for Meisterstück leather accessories for 45 years and the company has become his second family. When you watch him, you can see what his work means to him. The devotion with which he handles and works the leather and regards the finished articles says everything. His tools? With his hands he can create things that no machine in the world can produce in the same quality. With the skilled hands of a professional, he can turn single pieces of leather into high-quality leather accessories and the tools are like an eleventh finger. For his personal ‘Meisterstück’ - a leather wallet, which he still holds in high esteem today - he even sewed the seams himself.

Lord of the Diamonds

Patience is what Roland Vogt needs most when he has to apply the 4,810 diamonds which adorn the Meisterstück Solitaire Royal (US$ 125,000). 4,810 diamonds which have to be positioned carefully and exactly on a single pen. Absolute concentration, a calm hand and a magnifying glass are needed by the diamond setter to put the precious stones in the right positions, one by one. After looking through the glass for two hours, he gives his eyes a rest, since his work would not be so efficient. Each time he finishes the filigree work of putting all the diamonds on the Meisterstück by hand, he stops and looks – this unique, sparkling writing instrument always takes his breath away.

Guardian of Time

The high-quality Meisterstück watches are produced in the middle of the picturesque Swiss Jura mountains. Le Locle, the cradle of the world’s finest watchmaking, is the home of Montblanc Montre S.A. Far from the noise and bustle of the city, time here seems to stand still. Thierry Pellaton – watchmaker in the 4th generation – loves this region and he loves his work. Even after countless watches which he has produced over many years, he has not lost his enthusiasm for this filigree craft. It fills him with pride and happiness to breathe life into watches. The desire to measure time is as old as mankind itself. But nowadays time is so important that forgetting time has become a rare luxury. But can a watchmaker ever forget time? Thierry Pellaton can. When he looks back passionately and proudly over his family history – his great-grandfather, also a watchmaker, gave his name to a winding mechanism, the “Pellaton Rotor”, which is an icon of watchmaking craftsmanship. His grandfather was director of the watchmaking school in Le Locle and his father was Head of Watch Development and Manufacture at TISSOT!
Today, his son Thierry Pellaton develops and produces with his team the precious watches of Montblanc Montre S.A. in Le Locle with the same passion as his ancestors.

Queen of Nibs

Each nib has been through 100 different work processes before it lands in front of Flora Rittmann, who gives it its final touch. A very difficult task for which she needs outstanding training and many years’ experience. Her work demands the highest concentration and precision. On bad days she sometimes feels very frustrated, but the thought of creating something perfect fills her with great satisfaction. She has a special relationship to gold nibs: the nib teaches her to be patient and in return she teaches the nib to write. Today she still feels the greatest admiration and respect for the man who taught her these skills. He, in turn, learnt his craft from one of the company’s oldest craftsmen. Just as a Meisterstück is handed down from one generation to the next, knowledge and passion for the art of writing is passed on at Montblanc from one generation to the next.

Master of Precision

‘Meister’ watchmaker Kurt Schaffo has the ability to imagine exactly the finished product before he has even started on his meticulous work. He is a globally recognised specialist for skeletonising, which he perfectly proved with the world’s first such fountain-pen. After serving as apprentice to his grandfather, he taught himself this special skill with untiring enthusiasm and boundless energy. It takes him four weeks to remove painstakingly all the parts of a watch that are not absolutely vital. Only the essential parts are left. The result is a transparent and miniature work of art. Passion is for him the prerequisite for perfect work. He is also passionate about car-races in his free time. Really quite the opposite of his normally circumspect work. But for him the two activities have a lot in common: a high degree of skill and concentration.

Map-Reader

Peter Groneck is no normal map-reader. His maps are pieces of leather from which he meticulously selects the highest-quality parts for Meisterstück leather accessories. The expert can read them like a book. Animals do not sleep in beds,

he says. They live in the wild and that leaves marks on them. His hands glide over the leather and feel even the smallest insect bites. Each piece is different. It takes a lot of talent and a critical eye to select the leather in such a way that the single pieces fit together perfectly. In doing so, he bears great responsibility when one thinks of how many steps there are in the production of the Meisterstück Collection. His attentive hands will not be able to rest until he retires. But the map-reader has plans for that time, too: he wants to walk around the world, to be outside in nature and feel the sun on his face.

Perfectionist

When Gerhard Lorkowski began as a young toolmaker at Montblanc over 40 years ago, many of his current colleagues were not even born. He set himself very high aims and is now a ‘Meister’ in Final Production. All Montblanc writing instruments pass through his department to receive the final treatment. Under his supervision, the carefully produced individual parts are assembled, polished and checked for the last time. The department has become his second home and his employees are a family he highly appreciates. When you watch his employees, who check every single piece yet again, the true value of a Meisterstück becomes clear. It takes time to create timeless beauty. What is so special for him about a Meisterstück 149? This fountain-pen is always passed on: from countless producers at Montblanc to its owner: and later to his or her children and grandchildren.

The employees at Montblanc, who breathe a soul into the company and its products, have committed themselves completely to these unique works of art. Their knowledge, their skill and their passion are visible and invisible parts of these products. In every ink that is transferred to paper through a Meisterstück there is some of the blood of those who have produced that pen. The designers, technicians, buyers and sales-people are also infected with this virus. Montblanc has become part of their life. Working for Montblanc is more than just a job – it is a vocation. It is only in such a way that articles can be produced on the highest level for 100 years. Timeless beauties, unique pieces for eternity.