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Exquisite timepieces and writing instruments by Montblanc pay homage to the luxury brand’s rich history and heritage

FOR THOSE who admire quality, traditional craftsmanship and the pursuit of excellence in everything they see and touch, the Montblanc name is a familiar one. The luxury brand with a history that dates to 1906 is a renowned purveyor of fine writing instruments as well as being an esteemed watchmaker, the latter especially so since the 2006 acquisition of the storied Swiss manufacture Minerva by Montblanc’s parent company, Richemont. Last year, Montblanc introduced a new collection in its Star Legacy line, inspired by the spirit of classical watchmaking and in particular the heritage of Minerva, which goes back to 1858. The watches, which comprise 39mm and 42mm automatics, 42mm moon-phase and full-calendar timepieces, and 42mm automatic chronographs, as well as two automatic ladies’ models in 32mm and 36mm sizes, retain key Star Legacy elements but have even more refined finishing. An outstanding example from this collection is the eye-catching Star Legacy Moonphase. Adhering to Star Legacy design codes, the timepiece features elegant leaf-shaped hands, an exploding iconic Montblanc star guilloché pattern on a silvery-white dial, an onion-shaped crown,

unique railway minute track, filet sauté guilloché and redesigned Arabic numerals reminiscent of historic Minerva pocket watches. Equipped with an automatic movement, the Star Legacy Moonphase is housed in a 42mm round stainless-steel case and comes with a black or blue alligator strap made at the brand’s own leather atelier in Florence, Italy. A steel bracelet is also an option, as is a steel-and-gold version of the watch with a black or brown alligator strap. For ladies, the two automatic watches are available in stainless steel or red gold, and feature refined and distinctive diamond rings on the dials. As with the men’s collection, all the codes of the Star Legacy collection are present, including colourful hand-painted alligator straps. For added sparkle, the stainless-steel models are available with a bezel set with 68 Top Wesselton diamonds (0.5032 carats) for the 32mm version, or 72 stones (0.5624 carats) for the 36mm version. Accompanying the watches, Montblanc has produced three limited- and special-edition writing instruments as part of its Rouge & Noir Heritage Collection. The brand’s limited-edition pens are much coveted, and with their vintage look and feel, these instruments reimagine a Montblanc product line created in 1909. Inspired by Stendahl’s literary classic Le Rouge et le Noir, the pens of the original collection were made of black ebonite with a red cap. The collection reinterprets them both in form and function with a different size and shape, and in enhanced features for a more luxurious writing experience, as well as in its modern piston technology. It also features a spider motif that intricately weaves its way from the top of the pen to the clip. The Montblanc Heritage Rouge & Noir Spider Metamorphosis Special Edition, for example, has a barrel made from highly polished precious resin and a cap crafted from lacquer; both are finished in black. In vivid contrast, the barrel and cap of the Special Edition Coral are made from coral resin and lacquer complemented by champagne-tone gold-coated fittings. Its spider clip is adorned with orange-coloured synthetic stones that represent the gaze of the arachnid’s eyes. montblanc.com