The Montblanc Meisterstuck hits a century

The Hindu

23-05-2025

The Montblanc Meisterstuck has, for over a 100 years, been more than just a writing instrument. A pen deemed both sturdy and stylish, it has been used to sign world-altering peace treaties and found a place in the New York Museum of Modern Art and London Design Museum.
The Meisterstuck, meaning 'masterpiece' in German, is a star among the galaxy of well-known instruments from the maison. To mark its centenary in 2024, Montblanc launched a global campaign, written and directed by Academy Award-winner, Wes Anderson. Well-known for his eccentric visual narratives and more recently for playing a central role in the six-year-long restoration of Satyajit Ray's Aranyer Din Ratri, starring Sharmila Tagore and Simi Garewal that was recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2025, the American director set the Montblanc campaign at its fictional headquarters atop the Mont Blanc mountain in the Alps. It features acclaimed actors Rupert Friend, Jason Schwartzman, Maude Apatow, Indian American actor-designer Waris Ahluwalia and Anderson himself in a log cabin amidst the snow-blown massif showcasing pens, and travel and work accessories from a line launched to mark the hundredth year.
Neeraj Walia, Montblanc's India MD and CEO, says over a call, 'The Meisterstuck was launched as a leisure tool of writing. With journalling back in fashion it has found a new, younger audience. There is consistency in functionality, the shapes have evolved, although some of the iconic ones like the 149 cigar-shaped writing instrument have stayed.'
While today the Meisterstuck is seen as a symbol of prestige and class, it was first created in 1924 to meet the demand for writing instruments for 'Sunday use', tools that were meant for leisure and not for the everyday. It later resulted in Montblanc Haus opening in Hamburg in 2022, allowing visitors to rediscover the joys of putting pen to paper. Adds Neeraj, 'The brand has been in pursuit of excellence in craftsmanship since it was first established in 1906, revolutionising the culture of writing. It has taken this skill across product categories such as writing instruments, watches, leather goods, new technology and accessories.'
The making of a Meisterstuck, whether fountain or rollerball, is a journey of three months with nearly a 100 people involved in creating its vintage shape. The most recognisable is the one with a handcrafted gold nib, cigar-shaped with three gold rings and a piston ink filler inside a barrel. Rarer ones would be the Solitaire Royal, costing thousands of pounds, made for the Sultan of Brunei.
The Montblanc website spells out how the 'first Meisterstück range was developed by the Simplo Füllfedergesellschaft (later Montblanc-Simplo) in 1924'. 'The number '4810' referring to the height of the Mont Blanc mountain in metres is engraved on the cap, and since 1930 on the nib,' says Neeraj. In 1928, two gold rings were added to the cap to reduce the chance of it breaking. By the late 1930s when the third ring was introduced, the pen had also acquired a two-tone rhodium and gold-coated nib.
Over the next half century, many models were introduced: the 149 'cigar-shaped' model in 1952, the Linie 60 model in the 1960s and the Solitaire model in the 1980s. What stayed common was the Montblanc emblem on the cap top and 4810 engraved on the nib.
The anniversary leather capsules — coin case, card holder and wallet — in black, coral red (a colour that featured on the Meisterstuck of the 1920s), blue, and green also showcase the emblem as drawn from the archives over the years. 'The Meisterstuck Traveller and the Origin collection have been successful in India,' says Neeraj, adding, 'Collectors in India track the pieces even before they are launched through boutiques. For instance, Wes Anderson created the Schreiberling Le 1969 as a tribute to his birth year. It comes as a set including a fountain pen that has a Montblanc emblem on the cap top in red, a notebook, ink cartridges and a ruler.'
Through wearable technology and Dear Future, Montblanc's initiative for young adults to build a sustainable future through good handwriting, the maison is still in a celebratory mood as it steps into its second century.
Available at pen boutiques and online stores. The Montblanc Meisterstuck pen is priced ₹40,000 upwards.