For the first time in over a century, Montblanc has handed over the design of one of its product to an external collaborator. Designed by Marc Newson, the latest Montblanc M pen is both a celebration of the German company’s heritage. ‘Our passion for the art of writing is in the very heart of the project,’ says Montblanc CEO Jerome Lambert, who commissioned Newson to work on the project.
The resulting object is an elegant balance of form and function, with a sleek silhouette that incorporates Montblanc’s signature elements into a contemporary piece. Newson’s design also includes subtle aesthetic and engineering details – such as the magnetic closure of the cap so its clip aligns perfectly with the Montblanc emblem at the other end (it’s also the first time a second emblem has featured in a contemporary pen, alongside the one on the cap).
‘Like a lot of people doing my job, we use pens all the time, and pens are the way that I choose to connect with the world,’ explains Newson, noting how the art of using writing instruments itself was the inspiration for his design 'It’s the thing that enables me to take my thoughts and bring them to reality.’
Originally featured in the September 2015 edition of Wallpaper* (W*198)
It is is made of Montblanc’s typical black resin and its shape features a ‘plateau’, which was created by milling the polished black resin with a diamond tool. The white resin emblem was ultrasonically welded onto the plateau to form a perfectly flat surface and contribute to the piece’s sleekness
The pen is available in fountain and ballpoint versions, and for the first time the company adds a fineliner to its collection of writing instruments, also paying tribute to the designer’s work
Newson’s design includes subtle details, such as the magnetic closure of the cap so its clip aligns perfectly with the Montblanc emblem on the pen's body. It’s also the first time a second emblem has featured in a contemporary pen, alongside the one on the cap
‘Like a lot of people doing my job, we use pens all the time, and pens are the way that I choose to connect with the world,’ says Newson, noting how the art of using writing instruments itself was the inspiration for his design
-
Home is where Beethoven Market is – a joyful Italian restaurant in LA’s Mar VistaIn Mar Vista, a historic space is reborn as a modern-day gathering spot, an Italian-infused restaurant where rotisserie chicken, handmade pasta and tableside tiramisu welcome you like family
-
This Canadian house is a precise domestic composition perched on the Nova Scotian coastBishop McDowell completed a new Canadian house overlooking the Atlantic, using minimal details and traditional forms to create a refined family home
-
‘With a small gesture of buying a postcard, we all become copyists’: the Louvre’s celebration of copying speaks to human natureContemporary artists are invited to copy works from the Louvre in a celebration of the copyist’s art, a collaboration with Centre Pompidou-Metz
