When the thoughts are flowing and ink meets paper, a piece of history is created. There is a reason that the pen is said to be mightier than the sword, but the pen also has its very own history. This year, Montblanc’s most famous fountain pen is celebrating its 100th birthday: the Montblanc Meisterstück. In its honour, the Hamburg-based Maison – with the support of Hollywood luminary Wes Anderson, among others – has created a new Meisterstück collection and world of experience, making hundred years of tradition and innovation tangible.
Throughout the decades, the Meisterstück’s shape and design have continuously evolved. From left to right: Meisterstück No. 35 (1924), No. 139 (1937), No. 149 (1952) und No. 14 (1960).
Fans of the brand’s designs and watch enthusiasts alike will be delighted to hear that this also includes a special horological edition, limited to 500 pieces. The Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Meisterstück 100 Years traces the design history of the Meisterstück and – as the name suggests – embodies two formative Montblanc watch collections at once (read more in detail below in the article). Thus, this timepiece is packed with a lot of history. Let’s travel back in time together and explore how the cigar-shaped fountain pen has evolved over a hundred years and how much more it has in common with a watch than you might think.
It all began with an ink blot
Nowadays, we are busy hitting the keys on our smartphones and computers, and thanks to technical innovations, we have even more writing options at our disposal than ever. A hundred years ago, however, things were very different. Although the typewriter had already been invented back then, the fountain pen was still the most important writing tool. It could be easily carried around with a certain elegance and you no longer had to laboriously dip the nib into an inkwell after writing a few words. However, there was one disadvantage: the ink could leak, causing unfavourable blots.
In 1909, Montblanc, which had been founded three years earlier and was then still known as Simplo Füllfedergesellschaft (Simplo Filler Pen Co.), made a name for itself with the leak-proof ‘Rouge et Noir’ fountain pen. It had been developed by the German engineer August Eberstein and the Hamburg entrepreneurs Alfred Nehemias and Claus Johannes Voß – and many more fountain pens were to follow.
1924: Montblanc accomplishes a masterpiece
In 1924, Montblanc launched the Meisterstück (German for ‘masterpiece’). With this fountain pen, Montblanc made its customers’ dreams come true and established a renowned product for which it is still known today. Akin to today’s ‘Selfcare Sunday’ concept, where everyday rituals are turned into special experiences, Montblanc customers back then also longed to make their everyday writing experience a special one. The Maison complied to this desire for a writing instrument for ‘Sunday use’.
An advert from the 1930s promotes this exceptional writing experience.
Fortunately, Montblanc already had a suitable fountain pen right up its sleeve: to express their passion for the art of writing and their craftsmanship, the artisans at Montblanc had already developed a distinctive fountain pen for their own use. In 1924, the brand decided to offer this writing instrument to the public for sale. Initially, the fountain pen was marketed in the respective local language. For instance, the Meisterstück was called chef d’oeuvre in France and calpolavor in Italy. However, as the German name was more concise and highlighted the product’s German origins, the brand eventually stuck with it. Although the name remained the same throughout the decades, the design did not.
The first Meisterstücke
Before the Meisterstück was given its iconic cigar shape, the black ‘safety fountain pen’ sported a somewhat different look. The barrel and cap were comparatively straight, only the top of the cap was slightly rounded. A variant of the Meisterstück No. 35 from 1924 was plain, all black with silver markings and no clip. The barrel was labelled ‘Simplo Original Montblanc’ and the cap bore the curved lettering ‘4810 Montblanc Meisterstück’ with a small drawing of the mountain between the two words.
The Meisterstück No. 35 without a clip from 1924.
The number 4810 refers to the altitude of the highest mountain in the European Alps, Mont Blanc, as measured at the time. Serving as a source of inspiration for Montblanc, the mountain appears in various forms on the brand’s products. This was also the case for the Meisterstück’s packaging in the 1920s. In the background, the Mont Blanc and the Meisterstück, which stretches across the mountain’s six peaks, are depicted. In front of this backdrop the lettering 4810 is featured. Above, ‘In jeder Lage tragbar’ (‘Wearable in any position’) refers to its leak-proof nature, while ‘Meisterstück’ and the brand name appear below the number.
As with every one of Montblanc’s writing instruments since 1910, the white star on the top of the cap pays homage to the imposing mountain. Each point stands for one of its six snow-capped peaks.
A Dutch graphic from 1924 shows the Montblanc star with its six points for each Mont Blanc peak.
In addition to this rather unassuming No. 35 model, there were also more sophisticated versions in 1924. For example, the Meisterstück No. 2L model with a skeletonised gold pattern adorning the pen from its cap to the end of its barrel. The 1920s Meisterstück fountain pens also showcased another striking feature: a curved clip with a drop-shaped end.
The Meisterstück No. 2L from 1924 (top) and the Meisterstück No. 35 with a drop-shaped clip (bottom).
Meisterstück: Times of Change
The renaming of the company to Montblanc Simplo GmbH in the mid-1930s also led to some changes to the Meisterstück. While some elements were refined, new ones were added to make the new models stand out from their predecessors. Some of these components still distinguish the Meisterstück today. For example, the fountain pen was given a cylindrical shape with a flat cap and barrel end, more eye-catching clip designs, and new gold accents.
ca. 1936
Glowing in gold: the ring and the nib
From 1928 on, the cap was equipped with two gold rings to prevent it from cracking. In the mid-1930s, a single, thick cap ring adorned the Meisterstück, until a cap with three rings was introduced in 1937. Each individual ring is meant to symbolise one of the three key figures of the company’s founding years: Wilhelm Dziambor, Christian Lausen and Claus Johannes Voß. These gold accents still define the Meisterstück today.
Meisterstück advertisement from 1936.
Moreover, the bicolour gold nib with the prominent Montblanc number engraved on its tip is another distinctive feature. Made from 585 or 750 gold, it takes 35 complex steps to produce one nib by hand – even today.
Similar to our beloved mechanical timepieces, the fountain pens are subjected to rigorous quality controls. Among other things, the nib has to pass a writing test and a sound test by the in-house trained nib grinders before it can be released to the market. All of this is necessary to ensure that the nib can smoothly glide on the paper without scratching or juddering.
The quality of the nibs is rigorously tested.
The cigar-shaped Meisterstück and a brief detour
As reconstruction and innovation characterised the post-war era, the Meisterstück also received a makeover. While the three cap rings and the nib were retained, the cylindrical shape of the 1930s evolved into a streamlined cigar shape with the brand name engraved on the widest cap ring. The Meisterstück presented itself at the top of its game with the legendary model 149 in 1952, which had different coloured cap rings.
A catalogue page from 1949 shows the Meisterstück models No. 144 and No. 146 (left). The Meisterstück 149 from 1952 (right).
In the 1960s, the Meisterstück briefly deviated from its cigar shape and became narrower and more delicate, reminiscent of its early years. Of course, the 149 model still existed, but the focus was on Meisterstücke with a more modern ‘jet age’ aesthetic. During this period and with the boom in mass production, Montblanc adapted its production methods to modern standards and materials.
A catalogue page from 1961 indicates that the Meisterstück is flight- and altitude-proof.
For instance, instead of using ebonite and celluloid to manufacture the Meisterstück as it was common until the 1950s, the models from the series 60 were made of resin using the injection moulding process. Today’s models are also made of resin, more precisely high-grade resin, and are produced at 280 degrees Celsius and a pressure equivalent to that of a thousand car tyres.
A catalogue page from 1974 with different Meisterstück variants.
At the beginning of the 1970s, the company returned to the elegant, graceful cigar shape of the 1950s. The focus shifted towards models with timeless shapes, a design standard the brand still follows today. And successfully so: a Meisterstück can still be recognised by its black streamlined shape, the gold details, the two-tone nib and, of course, the Montblanc emblem.
Meisterstück The Origin Collection
As we have already seen, several memorable Meisterstück attributes have emerged throughout the decades. To commemorate its 100-year journey, Montblanc has launched a three-part anniversary collection of the writing instrument in April 2024. Alessandra Elia, Montblanc Director of Writing Culture, explains: ‘Even at the height of the digital age, the Meisterstück remains a symbol of culture, creativity and connection, and a symbol of the power of writing by hand.’
The six new fountain pens showcase a number of similarities – especially with regards to the cap. When the first Meisterstück models were launched in the 1920s, the clips were not permanently attached to the pen and could be individually selected. As already mentioned, there was a distinctive, curved clip with a drop-shaped end. Drawing inspiration from it, the models in the Meisterstück The Origin collection also feature a clip with a spherical end reminiscent of a bell tongue.
As a homage to the original design, there is also an engraving of the original Meisterstück logo on the side of each cap. In addition, the original Montblanc emblem on the cap head is framed in black, coral red, blue or green to match the colour of the respective edition. Pulling off the cap reveals the unique anniversary nib which includes all three anniversary digits: 100 for the centennial and the years 1924 and 2024 for the time span.
Meisterstück The Origin Precious Resin
A part of the collection consists of high-grade resin special editions in different colour variations. Many Meisterstücke from the early years were characterised by marbling. An allusion to this design element can be found on the caps of the anniversary collection where a marble effect mimics the look of dissolving ink.
The Meisterstück The Origin Precious Resin fountain pens are presented on a catalogue page from 1929, which also shows variations of the Meisterstück with marbling.
The Meisterstück The Origin Precious Resin LeGrand comes in a dark blue colour and the Meisterstück The Origin Precious Rein Classique in green with gold-plated fittings. Both have a rhodium-plated nib made from solid 585 gold. In contrast, the Meisterstück The Origin Precious Resin 149 is a classic black colour and has platinum-plated fittings, while its rhodium-plated nib is made of 750 solid gold.
The Meisterstück The Origin Precious Resin 149 in the centre, surrounded by its design inspirations.
Meisterstück The Origin Doué and Solitaire
With the Meisterstück The Origin Doué and Solitaire models, Montblanc refers to later decades in the Meisterstück series. The first Doué models appeared in the late 1950s, followed by the Meisterstück Solitaire in the 1980s.
A catalogue page from 1988 shows a Meisterstück Solitaire model in solid gold.
For the cap pattern of both editions, the Hamburg-based Maison returned to a design for a writing instrument from the Montblanc archive that had never been realised before. The geometric embellishes the caps of the blue Meisterstück The Origin Doué LeGrand with a platinum-plated coating and the green, gold-plated cap of the Meisterstück The Origin Doué Classique.
By contrast, both the Meisterstück The Origin Solitaire LeGrand’s coral-red cap and barrell are decorated with the gold-plated, ornamental pattern. It appears to radiate from the implied Montblanc emblem, which follows the golden end of the barrel. All fountain pens are rounded off with a rhodium-plated nib made of solid 750 gold.
The Meisterstück The Origin Solitaire LeGrand (left). The nib of the Meisterstück The Origin Doué and Solitaire editions with anniversary engraving (right).
Complementing the anniversary fountain pens, there are also colour-coordinated inkwells, that come in a packaging with a historical design, and anniversary-design stationery. Furthermore, MTB 03 in-ear headphones and a black leather collection with nib-shaped details honour the Meisterstück as a source of inspiration that has influenced the design across several product categories since its inception.
Rupert Friend and Maude Apatow present a bag from the new Meisterstück leather collection and the Meisterstück in the new Wes Anderson-style photo campaign (left). The MTB 03 in-ear headphones inspired by the icon (right).
Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Meisterstück 100 Years
Yet, the most beautiful love declaration dedicated to the Meisterstück’s history is probably the Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Meisterstück 100 Years. On closer inspection, it is not such an unusual inference that a matching timepiece should accompany a fountain pen. With both, one cannot only observe time, but also record it.
An advert for the Meisterstück from the 1950s even compares the quality of the fountain pen with the precision of a Swiss watch.
Now, Montblanc combines the Meisterstück’s design history with its watchmaking history in a timepiece limited to 500 pieces. The watch alludes to two milestones in Montblanc’s role as a watch manufacturer. One of them is the Meisterstück series, which shares its name with its design inspiration and was launched as the Maison’s first timepiece collection in 1997. The other collection is the Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph series, launched in 2007.
Keeping time: Nicolas Rieussec und Montblanc
In 2007, Montblanc presented its first in-house movement in a watch based on a complication by Nicolas Rieussec. Thus, the Hamburg-based brand skilfully forged a link between the art of writing and the art of watchmaking. The invention of the French king’s sixth watchmaker from the 19th century records the elapsed time using a fixed nib, ink and rotating discs. Rieussec used his invention for the first time at a horse race on 1 September 1821 to stop the exact times of all the horses at the finish line.
Each time a horse crossed the finish line, a fixed nib marked the time on two rotating discs, one for the minutes and the other for the seconds. The first ink chronograph was born. Incidentally, the invention received its name from the French Academy of Science in Paris, where Rieussec presented his invention a few weeks after conducting the successful test. The term chronograph is made up of the Greek words chronos (time) and graphein (to write), providing a nice link to the stationery and watch manufacturer Montblanc.
Nicolas Rieussec’s invention (top) and his patent request from 1822 (bottom).
In its Swiss watch manufacture, the Maison reinterpreted Rieussec’s invention as a wristwatch. Let’s take a closer look at how exactly it works with the Montblanc Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Meisterstück 100 Years.
Stainless steel all around
In the Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Meisterstück 100 Years, Rieussec’s invention is housed in a round 43 mm stainless steel case with a Montblanc emblem on its stainless-steel crown. The pusher for activating the chronograph is located on the left-hand side of the 15.01 mm thick case at 8 o’clock. The scratch-resistant, double-sided anti-reflective, domed sapphire crystal on the front offers additional protection against external influences. The black oscillating weight is visible through an anti-reflective coated sapphire crystal on the back.
In keeping with its name, a filigree pattern of curved, golden figure-eight loops runs along the oscillating weight. It is reminiscent of the flowing hand movements and cursive writing elements in calligraphy. Moreover, an open-worked Montblanc emblem is integrated into the oscillating weight. The case is water-resistant to a depth of 50 metres and complemented by an interchangeable black leather strap with alligator embossing and a stainless-steel triple folding clasp.
Tracing history on the Meisterstück watch
The history of the Meisterstück and the ink chronograph is clearly visible on the black dial – literally. The black dial features a technical drawing of the 1920 Meisterstück, which glows blue in the dark and surrounds the off-centre hour and minute display, the chronograph discs and the date window. Thereby, all the other elements on the dial seem to float.
The centre of the off-centre hour circle with a railway minute track presents a sketch of the Montblanc emblem, which also glows blue in the dark and can be found on the writing instrument’s cap as well as the watch crown. The rose gold-plated Dauphine hour and minute hands also gleam blue for improved legibility and refer to the rose gold-plated Arabic numerals. A rhodium-plated, skeletonised hand also indicates the time for the second time zone, which runs along the same axis. In addition to the date window below the chronograph discs at 6 o’clock, the hour circle also has a day and night display.
Let us now turn to Rieussec’s invention. The Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Meisterstück 100 Years is equipped with two domed chronograph discs below the hour circle, which rotate once the chronograph function has been activated. The left-hand disc acts as a 60-second counter, while the right-hand disc serves as a 30-minute counter. Paying tribute to the alpine elements on the Meisterstück, the numbers ‘48’ and ‘10’ are depicted on each disc and are set off by retro typography. The two discs are connected by a rose gold-plated bridge, which also serves as the chronograph hand. In combination with the other gold details on the dial, it creates a two-tone look similar to that of the Meisterstück’s nib. The entire dial is framed by the inscription ‘Chronographe Nicolas Rieussec’ at 12 o’clock and ‘Académie des Sciences de Paris – 1821’ at 6 o’clock.
Montblanc‘s first in-house calibre
To round off our journey through the history of two Montblanc icons, the Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Meisterstück 100 Years is powered by Montblanc’s first manufacture movement, which was introduced in 2007. The MB R200 monopusher chronograph movement is an automatic movement with a 72-hour power reserve and a second time zone.
The monopusher mechanism is activated with the thumb via the pusher and controlled by a column wheel. A vertical disc clutch is used to prevent the elapsed time discs from jumping when the chronograph is switched on. It engages and disengages the connection between the gear train and the wheels without wear.
Thanks to the quick reset mechanism for the hour and date, switching from one time zone to the next clockwise or counterclockwise is easily possible without changing the position of the minute hand. The double barrel also ensures a greater rate stability, and the perforated balance bridge provides optimum shock resistance thanks to the precise positioning of the oscillator. In addition, Côtes de Genève adorn the rhodium-plated bridge. For a more efficient power transmission, the movement is fitted with a special gold-plated gearing which subtly connects to the only other gold elements in the movement: the calligraphy on the oscillating weight.
With the Star Legacy Nicolas Rieussec Chronograph Meisterstück 100 Years, Montblanc merges the history of two of its product segments and showcases that writing instruments and watches, as different ways of keeping time, have more in common than one might think at first glance.
A presentation of the new Meisterstück collections at the launch event in Los Angeles.
Meisterstück meets Wes Anderson
The new collections embody the design history of the Meisterstück down to the smallest detail. The atmosphere associated with 100 years of history and the experiences created by the Meisterstück are captured by none other than screenwriter and director Wes Anderson for and with Montblanc. The Hollywood luminary wrote the script for the new campaign film himself and brings the Montblanc world and the Meisterstück to life in his typically whimsical manner.
Together with actors Rupert Friend and Jason Schwartzman, Anderson humorously tells the story of the Meisterstück, first in full snow gear against the snowy backdrop of Mont Blanc and then in the imaginary Montblanc High Mountain Observatory Library and Writing Room.
Wes Anderson presenting the Schreiberling in the film.
Meanwhile, he not only refers to Montblanc’s past, but also to the future – his green limited-edition ‘Schreiberling’, created in cooperation with Montblanc, will be released next year. Anderson’s writing instrument will thus join a series of special, limited collector’s items, including the Meisterstück Around the World in 80 Day Limited Edition 811, the Peggy Guggenheim Limited Edition 888 and the Masters of Art Homage to Vincent van Gogh Limited Edition 161.
From left to right: Rupert Friend, Wes Anderson, and Jason Schwartzmann.
The film also expresses Montblanc’s claim to inspire writing through its products. In the short film’s final scene, the protagonists discuss their individual writing projects and the fountain pen of their choice: Friend wants to use the Meisterstück to write down his experiences in a journal, Anderson chooses his Schreiberling to write a novel and Schwartzmann writes a letter to his mother.
German actress Emilia Schüle in the Montblanc High Mountain Observatory Library.
On May 1st, Anderson’s campaign film and an accompanying photo campaign, featuring American actress Maude Apatow and Koranic actor Lee Jinuk, among others, were finally revealed.
Actor Lee Jinuk in the new campaign.
In addition to the stars of the campaign, actress Emma Roberts, singer John Legend, professional footballer Zinédine Zidane, top model Toni Garrn and actors Emilia Schüle and Waris Ahluwalia attended the launch event at the Montblanc pop-up on Rodeo Drive and at the historic Paramour Estate in Los Angeles.
Waris Ahluwalia and Toni Garrn visit the Montblanc Pop-Up.
In the evening, guests were able to marvel at the new film and gain an insight into the world of Montblanc with the help of backdrops from Anderson’s film and an exhibition on the history of the Meisterstück. While the pop-up in Los Angeles was only open until the end of July, the Montblanc Chalet can also be found in Hamburg.
Zinédine Zidane at the pop-up on Rodeo Drive (top). The Montblanc House in Hamburg in 2022 (bottom).
Experience the Meisterstück world in Hamburg
At the Montblanc Haus in Hamburg, you can now immerse yourself in Wes Anderson’s colorful Meisterstück world. Visitors will find themselves in the library and writing room from the film: surrounded by wood-paneled walls, vintage furniture, green and yellow details.
Entitled ‘Inspire Writing – Filmmaking’, the exhibition is dedicated to the Meisterstück and the role of writing in the creation of films. It extends the permanent exhibition ‘Inspire Writing’, which includes original manuscripts by Ernest Hemingway and Frieda Kahlo.
Until May 2025, you can experience the history of the iconic Meisterstück up close and discover objects provided by the Deutsche Kinemathek in Berlin and the Film- und Fernsehmuseum Hamburg e.V. alongside the backdrop from the campaign film. With this in mind: Head to Hamburg and get inspired!
