Montblanc and Wes Anderson Team Up for a Very Big Birthday
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Last night, luxury German brand Montblanc feted the 100th birthday of its legendary Meisterstück fountain pen in true L.A. style at the Paramour Estate in Silver Lake with 250 guests. Front and center at the outdoor dinner was the anniversary campaign, which itself inspired a short movie by Wes Anderson who—unusually—starred in it alongside mates Jason Schwartzman and Rupert Friend.
The anniversary features a collection of limited-edition Meisterstück pens under the Origins banner, which also includes a new line of leather goods created by the house’s artistic director Marco Tomasetta. The anniversary pen collection features stylized takes on details gleaned from a century of design innovations—but don’t go thinking they’ll look old-timey or dated. The original Meisterstück from 1924 featured an ingenious retractable nib that sealed off the pan against leaks and it already bore much of the design language still visible on today’s pens including “4810” engraved on the 18K gold nib, the altitude in meters of Euope’s highest mountain, which for the brand was a literal pinnacle to strive for in its production. The stylized snow cap—an impression of the mountain’s summit viewed from above—was an early signifier for a brand that played very early on with modern branding ideas.
Most of the new pen lineup is available now at Montblanc’s website. Not yet available, but glimpsed in the short film, is the limited-edition Meisterstück pen that an inspired Anderson took it upon himself to design with Montblanc. This, likely to be the most collectible version—especially for Anderson nuts—will appear at retail sometime in the next year. Mark your calendar—preferably with a fountain pen.
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