The company traces its roots to Berlin in 1906 when August Eberstein and Alfred Nehemias started to make a range of simple-to-use fountain pens for a consortium of Hamburg stationary shops. Having run into financial difficulties, Wilhelm Dziambor, Christian Lausen and Claus Johannes Voss joined with Eberstein and Nehemais, bringing financial backing and other expertise and founding the Simplo Filler Pen Co. GmbH. Having moved their manufacturing to Hamburg, they began to produce top quality gold fountain pens. In 1909 they launched their first iconic range of pens, the Rouge et Noir with their red caps. This was followed in 1910-11 with a new model with a white cap, apparently inspired by Mont Blanc, the highest mountain peak in Western Europe. Henceforth, the pen with white top became known as the ‘Mont Blanc’, and in 1913 the company registered the snowcap logo symbol, which was adopted and registered as their trademark. In 1923 the company was granted a patent for their process of inlaying the white star in their pen caps, although they continued trading as Simplo Filler Pen Company during the 1920s.

Montblanc Meisterstück

In 1924 the company began to produce the Meisterstück brand of pens, a gold coated collection which were the flagship writing pieces produced by Simplo. These pens came with nibs under warranty, and were subsequently made from higher grade materials, and sometimes precious metals such as silver and gold. From then on, Meisterstück has denoted the company’s highest quality range of products, treasured around the world by connoisseurs. In 1929 the company’s Mont Blanc theme was further entrenched when all Meisterstück nibs were engraved ‘4810’, representing the height of the Mont Blanc mountain; 4810 remains a key element of many Montblanc product ranges. In 1934 Simplo adopted the name Montblanc as the brand name of the company.

The immediate post war years were a period of expansion and recognition in the international luxury market for Montblanc. In the 1940s the company introduced perhaps its most famous range of pens, the 140 series with the 142, 144 and 146 fountain pen sizes, which were joined in 1952 with the 149, the iconic Le Grand. A Montblanc, Meisterstück, 149 is offered in Dreweatts’ March auction, carrying an estimate of £200-300 (+ fees). The Meisterstück is a pen that is favoured by Presidents and world leaders, including President John F. Kennedy, whose personal fountain pen was a Meisterstück 149.

The Meisterstück range was further developed by the introduction of the Meisterstück ‘Solitaire’ ranges, which used high end precious materials such as silver, vermeil and gold, whose variations include the 1995 Ramses II with its lapis lazuli lacquer caps this particular version sold at auction at Dreweatts for £1,008. Other versions include the Czar Nikolai II with its malachite cap which was introduced in 1997, one of these sold at auction at Dreweatts for £756.

Montblanc The Writers Series

The Montblanc company was bought by Alfred Dunhill in 1977, and it flourished in the 1980s as it became involved with sponsorship of the arts and culture, from literature to ballet and music, introducing ‘The Art of Writing’ as its marketing slogan. In the 1990s, Montblanc’s new range initiatives focussed on the development of the now world famous limited editions, starting with the Writers Editions and Patrons of Arts in 1992.

The Writers Editions began with Montblanc’s homage to Ernest Hemingway, a fountain pen with a black cap and orange barrel, and now one of the most sought after of the Writers Editions by collectors. The series is still being produced with a new writer honoured each year, most recent being the Jane Austen collection in 2024.

At the same time as the Writers Editions, Montblanc began the Patron of Arts series, dedicated to leading figures in the realm of cultural enlightenment from the ancient world, such as the Semiramis pen of 1996, to 20th and 21st century leaders of the arts world such as Peggy Guggenheim, whose pen was issued in 2016, a Peggy Guggenheim 2016 fountain pen is offered in our March auction, carrying an estimate of £1,000-1,500 (+ fees).

Learn more about The Writers Series

Montblanc Patron of Art

The first Patron of Arts pen was the engine turned silver fountain pen created in homage to the 15th century Florentine Renaissance leader, Lorenzo de Medici, this particular one sold with Dreweatts for £2,772. Initially the Paton of Arts series were offered in limited numbers of 4810 pens, a nod to the height of Mont Blanc, although a more precious 888 limited edition were introduced in 1995, with the Prince Regent Patron of Arts pens being the first to be offered in both 4810 and 888 editions.

The Patron of Arts series ran for 30 years resulting in a collection of 61 unique limited editions honouring 32 cultural patrons. The last Patron of Arts was the double issue from 2022 in homage to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The Patron of Arts series was replaced in 2023 by the launch of the Master of Art collections, which have so far honoured Vincent Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt.

Montblanc Donation Pens

In 1996 Montblanc introduced the Donation Pens, honouring the company’s commitment to the world of classical and contemporary music. Starting with an homage pen to Leonard Bernstein, the Donation pens were made as fountain pens, rollerballs and ballpoint pens. Montblanc donated some of the revenue generated by this series of pens to the promotion of art and culture.  Key figures represented in the Donation series have included Yehudi Menuhin (2000), John Lennon (2010) and George Gershwin (2019), with the latest Donation pen being an homage to Frédéric Chopin (2022). Alongside the Donation Pens, from 2003 Montblanc have sponsored the Young Director’s Project at the Salzburg Festival each year with the 'Hommage À Max Reinhardt' annual limited editions, usually a small number of 20 or 30 fountain pens, only sold through the Montblanc boutique in Salzburg.

Montblanc Skeleton

In another venture to create the ultimate in luxury writing pieces, Montblanc established the Artisan Department in 1999 to make the Artisan collections. These are highly exclusive pen collections made in very limited numbers using precious metals and gemstones. They created their first Skeleton limited edition in 1999 for Montblanc's 75th Anniversary, and followed this in 2001 with the Meisterstück 149 Skeleton made in very limited numbers of 333, No. 090/333 sold at Dreweatts for £6,930. In our September 2024 auction we sold a fantastic selection of highly limited edition Skeleton pens, including the Black Widow (2004) which sold for £16,380, the One Foundation (2008) which sold for £17,640 and the Fortune Number 88 (2009) which sold for £11,340. Our March 2025 auction offers the Meisterstück 149, Blue Hour Skeleton from 2015 which carries an estimate of £2,000-3,000 (+ fees).

The Artisan Collections

The Artisan Collections also celebrated numerous and diverse talents, including the cartographer John Harrison (2002), no.217/333 sold with Dreweatts for £5,670.

Pens dedicated to the most celebrated visual artists have also been created by Montblanc, including Salvador Dali (2004), Joan Miro (2007), Diego Rivera (2009) and Antoni Gaudi (2010). They have also created pens dedicated to politicians including Winston Churchill (2005) which sold at Dreweatts for and George Pompidou (2007) which sold at Dreweatts for £11,970, and stars of the silver screen like Charlie Chaplin (2007) which sold at Dreweatts for £27,700.

World famous institutions like the Julliard School (2005), the Rotary Club (2005) and the Teatro all Scala (2004) have also had limited edition pens made in their honour by the Artisan Department. The Artisan Collections are without doubt considered to be the most desirable pens amongst connoisseurs and collectors.

At the same time, Montblanc and their skilled craftsmen from the Artisan Department created the Asian Series of limited editions, starting with the Year of the Golden Dragon of 2000 and the Sakura of 2001, both with Meissen porcelain barrels, and the Qing Dynasty pen of 2001 with its carved nephrite jade cap.

Montblanc in the modern age

At the turn of the millennium, Montblanc widened their appeal with the launch of new ranges and collections such as the Bohème collection in 2000, which was the first major new collection introduced by Montblanc since the Meisterstück range came into being in the 1920s. The company further broadened their appeal to a younger audience with the StarWalker range, which first came out in 2003.

Montblanc have also paid homage to women who have inspired the world through their elegance and influence. Starting in 2005, the Muses Collections have included pens created in homage to Greta Garbo (2005); Marlene Dietrich (2007); Princess Grace of Monaco (2012); Elizabeth Taylor (2021); Marilyn Monroe (2022); and most recently, Maria Callas (2023).

Key cultural, political, musical and artistic figures have been celebrated by Montblanc since 2009, when the Great Characters Collections were introduced. Starting with Mahatma Gandhi collection in 2009, other figures so far honoured have included Alfred Hitchcock (2011); John F. Kennedy and Andy Warhol (both 2015) (Lot 610) (Lot 611) (Lot 612); The Beatles (2017) and Jimmy Hendryx (2023) amongst others.

In 2007, Montblanc began the ‘America’s Signatures for Freedom’ Collection. This series honoured noted American Presidents for their commitment to preserve and defend the American Constitution. The series has included homages to Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and John Adams, and were only made in numbers of fifty pieces to represent the fifty states of America.

Alongside these fabulously creative collections, Montblanc have also entered into collaborations with other luxury brands to create the Meisterstück Great Masters. These pens bring together the expertise of Montblanc’s craftsmen with the visionary tradition of these leading brands, and their long-standing dedication to excellence. The Masters for Meisterstück include collaborations with the world leading porcelain factory Meissen; the French knife maker Laguiole en Aubrac; Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli and British gunsmith James Purdey.

Montblanc Auction Highlights

Dreweatts Auctions

Dreweatts regularly offers Pens from luxury brands such as Montblanc at auctions, with previews at our gallery on Pall Mall, London and at our country-house salerooms in Newbury. The market for fine pens is truly global and Dreweatts operates at both a local and an international level, with buyers and consignors from all over the world.

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