Last year, we got an exclusive look at the latest edition of Montblanc’s coveted High Artistry collections, a $1.6 million pen that was an ode to the beauty and glamour of the silver screen. Now, the prestigious brand is back with an even bigger High Artistry release that finds its roots in the history of French grandeur. Here’s everything you need to know about the Montblanc High Artistry A Journey Through Château De Versailles Collection.
Montblanc’s latest attempt to push the limits of technical and artistic virtuosity arrives in the form of five limited edition writing masterpieces, which are being released as part of the new and larger Montblanc High Artistry Grandeur collection. Each drop within the collection will aim to spotlight a huge feat of human achievement and for the first series Montblanc took inspiration from France’s legendary Château de Versailles.
The Montblanc High Artistry A Journey Through Château De Versailles Collection takes inspiration from the Baroque art and architecture of the iconic French palace in every way from the shape of each pen to the tiniest details that were meticulously crafted by Montblanc’s artisans. Five Montblanc High Artistry A Journey through Château de Versailles pens have been designed as part of the collection, including the Limited Edition 479, the Limited Edition 195, the Limited Edition 18, the Limited Edition 7, and the Limited Edition 3. The collection also features a timepiece limited to just 8 pieces - the Montblanc Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Château de Versailles.
The shape of every edition is inspired by a pen created by Nicolas Bion, the engineer to Louis XIV, which was an early iteration of the fountain pen named the ‘endless pen’. There are visual references to King Louis XIV throughout the collection too, including his personal seal which inspired the cone bottom shape of each pen. There are also of course countless nods to the architecture of the Château de Versailles throughout the collection, seen in the most intricate details of each edition, like the secret engraving hidden in a compartment in the solid Au 750 gold cap top of the Limited Edition 18 pen.
Brilliant-cut diamonds and the finest materials have been used in the creation of the collection, like Au 750 signature gold, green aventurine stones, a red garnet cabochon, platinum-coated fittings, lustrous mother-of-pearl, rock crystal inlays, and more. These are accentuated with skilfully applied hand engravings and fine miniature painting inlays which portray the smallest depictions of the Château de Versailles.
First up, the Limited Edition 479 gets its name from the encrypted communications system known as the ‘Grand Chiffre’ and ‘Petit Chiffre’ wherein the number “479” stood for the king himself. This pen is inspired by the King’s Corner Room at Versailles, and features a white translucent lacquered body which is meant to resemble the room’s walls, and fine pattern that evokes the chamber’s ornaments.
The Limited Edition 195 takes its inspiration from the Orangerie of Versailles, with a pattern and colour scheme that references the symmetry of the gardens. Details on this pen nod to the vases found in the orangery, the flowers that grow there, and the king’s treasured citrus trees. In the next pen, the Limited Edition 18, the Palace of Versailles’s iconic marble architecture and ‘‘marmothèque” tables are the focus, with elaborate marble inlays throughout the cap and barrel.
The Hall of Mirrors at Versailles is the inspiration behind the Limited Edition 7, a pen featuring rock crystal inlays backed by a coating of silver, rock crystal inlays which aim to represent the patina of the historical mirrored room. This pen is opulent with diamonds, gold, and a medallion hiding an intricate miniature painting, all coming together to recreate the dazzling ambiance of the Hall of Mirrors.
And finally, the Limited Edition 3 is a pen centred in the garden at the Palace of Versailles, with miniature painting inlays crafted by master artisans at Van Cleef & Arpels which show the view of the gardens framed by gold strips hand-set with diamonds and blossoms. The owner of the pen can also customize a secret personal engraving in a hidden compartment in the pen’s cap top, in the style of Louis XIV. Each pen in this limited edition collection takes opulence to another level, demonstrating the depth of Montblanc’s artisans’ attention to detail, craftmanship, and skill.
Also included with the Montblanc High Artistry A Journey through Château de Versailles Collection is a new and exclusive made-to-order program that’s being offered to a selection of the brand’s clients. The made-to-order program gives Montblanc’s most loyal customers the unique chance to customise a piece based on the design of the Limited Edition 3 pen to their own personal vision.
Montblanc’s High Artistry offering isn’t limited to exceptionally crafted writing instruments, though. The brand has also released the Montblanc Star Legacy Suspended Exo Tourbillon Château de Versailles, a limited edition timepiece that celebrates the opulence of France’s iconic masquerade ball, “Le Bal des Ifs”, also known as the Yew Tree Ball. Featuring Montblanc;s patented Exo Tourbillon mechanism, this is a watch that’s been created using a combination of hand-engraving, marquetry, cutting-edge 3D-modelling and laser-etching, directly inspired by the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles and the Baroque style design of its interior.
On the dial base, special enamel and gold treatment gives the effect of the candle-lit chandeliers being reflected in the windows of the Hall of Mirrors during the ball, while the secretive appearance of King Louis XV, disguised in a yew tree costume, is recreated by Montblanc artisans through sapphire etching. The intricate time-telling dial is crafted using the technique of champlevé enamel, which is finished with hand-painted numerals and a brass Apollo head. The watch comes presented in a real life music box which recreates the music played during the famous ball.
To find out more about Montblanc’s High Artistry A Journey Through Château De Versailles Collection, head to the brand’s website.
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