Montblanc’s new Digital Paper and Digital Pen are high-end entries into the e-ink club

Can Montblanc do for ‘digital paper’ what it did for the traditional fountain pen? Meaning can it transform the rather quotidian and functional act of writing on an e-ink tablet into the kind of premium experience conferred by its famous nibs? The answer to this question might lie in the new Montblanc Digital Tablet, the first time the legendary maison of writing instruments has deigned to step into the digital realm.

Given the reach of rivals like Amazon and reMarkable, Montblanc has a lot of ground to catch up on. It’s hoping to leapfrog to the top tier of the digital paper market by creating the first truly premium experience. That means creating not just the tablet itself, but the new Montblanc Digital Pen.

Developed in collaboration with San Francisco design agency Fuseproject, the pen draws clear inspiration from the Meisterstück, the 1924 fountain pen design that’s synonymous with Montblanc’s image and reputation.

‘When we design for a heritage brand like Montblanc, our job is to honour its past while creating a bridge to its future,’ says Fuseproject’s CEO Yves Behar. ‘Montblanc’s writing culture is legendary. Our role was to translate that culture into a digital experience that feels timeless and captures the emotional richness of handwriting,’

Many of the Meisterstück’s signature elements are present and correct on the Digital Pen, including the crowning emblem and the three metal rings, with a feeling of solidity and heft you just don’t get with an Apple Pencil or a reMarkable Marker. The studio also collaborated on the Digital Pen’s three interchangeable tips, Smooth, Linen and Matte, which offer a variety of writing experiences, unlike the one-size-fits-all approach of its rivals.

When combined with the variable tactility of the nibs, the high-resolution e-ink display promises to ‘deliver a realistic feel of paper’, with sufficient variety to accommodate different writing styles. With Fuseproject collaborating with Montblanc’s team in Hamburg on the Digital Pen, Montblanc set about shaping Digital Paper that met its exacting standards.

According to Felix Obschonka, Montblanc’s director of New Technologies, the intention was to bridge the worlds of digital connectivity and immediacy and the unrivalled feel of writing by hand. ‘While digital tools provide efficiency and convenience, handwriting offers a more immersive, reflective, and emotionally rich experience,’ says Obschonka. ‘It can ground us and inspire us in an increasingly fast-paced world. With the Montblanc Digital Paper, we have found a way to retain all the special qualities of writing by hand, while recognising the need for boundless space and effortless digital collaboration.’

Montblanc Digital Paper is intended for note-taking as well as making annotations on presentations, pdfs, documents and even e-books. The system boasts a search function that works with your handwriting and there are a number of templates included. Files are stored both on the device and synced to the Montblanc Cloud. It’s a premium take on the kind of eco-system others have honed and invested in for many years, so the key to a seamless future and loyal customers will be support and new features.

The Montblanc Digital Paper tablet is available in Mystery Black, Elixir Gold and Cool Grey, The Digital Paper unit can also be paired with Montblanc’s collection of calf leather folios, available in Mastic, Black, Ink Blue and Grey. Finally, the Digital Pen itself is available in Black, Grey and Ivory.

Montblanc Digital Paper, £750, Folios, £170, Digital Pen, £230

Montblanc.com, @Montblanc