Brave New World
Drawing inspiration from its founders’ early voyage to America, Montblanc’s revamped 4810 collection pushes the boundaries of innovation and craftsmanship, writes Yanni Tan
very first quarter of the year, horology aficionados look forward to a new and highly collectible collection launched by Montblanc. They got what they wished for and more this time, with a revamp of the 4810 collection introduced to celebrate the company’s 110th anniversary. Named after the 4,810m-high Mont Blanc, the highest peak in western Europe, and first presented in 2006 to mark the maison’s centennial milestone, the collection boasts several refined and sporty models, including one with a new calibre, which naturally channel the spirit of adventure and excellence evoked by the maison’s own symbol. The inspiration behind the collection is the era of intrepid sea exploration at the turn of the century, which is a tribute to the transatlantic voyage to America undertaken in 1906 by Montblanc’s three enterprising and innovative pioneers: engineer August Eberstein, merchant Alfred Nehemias and stationery trader Claus Voss. Aesthetics-wise, the refreshed 4810 does not stray from Montblanc’s classical codes and the Meisterstück series from the late 1990s. Its main theme here is the modern traveller and his desire for performance, reliability and craftsmanship. Altogether, the