If last year Montblanc dedicated its Great Characters edition to the self-made dreamer Jay Gatsby and the dazzling world he imagined, this year the Hamburg-based Maison returns to the realm of music to pay tribute to the legendary British icons—Queen—as this year also marks eight decades since Freddie Mercury’s birth. It’s not the first time the brand has drawn inspiration from the British music scene, as many still remember the remarkable edition dedicated to The Beatles back in 2017.
Devotees of the writing culture and fans of the legendary rock band have yet another reason to rejoice, as the brand has unveiled a collection of five limited-edition writing instruments that capture the musical brilliance, opulent showmanship, and enduring legacy of Queen. To me, Montblanc’s visionary approach to detail is no longer a surprise, yet the brand has truly outdone itself with the Limited Edition 8, which recreates the costume Freddie Mercury famously wore in 1986—an ensemble inspired by Napoleon’s coronation robes—through a delicate guilloché pattern, covered with translucent carmine-red lacquer set upon a solid Au 750 yellow gold cap and barrel. The robe’s regal ermine trim is interpreted by Montblanc’s master artisans as bands of skilfully set brilliant-cut diamonds and deep blue sapphires, adding a final touch of theatrical grandeur to the piece.
Queen — A Rhapsody That Changed Everything
There are quite a few bands that have shaped the world of music forever, but if I were to name one that gives me shivers within the first few seconds, it would be, without a doubt, Queen. In fact, their music was so powerful and unmistakable that you didn’t need to be an expert to feel its impact; you simply listened, and it resonated.
With a career spanning more than five decades, the British band remains one of the most successful and influential in music history—a legacy that continues to resonate across generations. While most bands of their era played it safe, sticking to a single genre like hard rock, Queen broke the rules and mixed things up. At the time, they even faced criticism for being too experimental and for not fitting neatly into the traditional rock mold. Yet their refusal to be confined by boundaries became the secret behind their phenomenal success. They built a musical universe of their own—one that blended hard rock, glam rock, pop, funk, and even opera—shattering genre conventions with iconic tracks such as A Kind of Magic, Under Pressure, The Show Must Go On, and the ever-defiant Bohemian Rhapsody.
Most would associate the band with its legendary frontman, Freddie Mercury, undoubtedly a central figure. However, if it weren’t for Brian May, the virtuoso guitarist, John Deacon, the inventive bass player, and Roger Taylor, the rhythmic heart of the group, Queen would never have been the same. It was the creative synergy among the band’s multi-talented members that ultimately made their success possible. Their shared gift for composition, paired with an unrelenting passion for experimentation and the pursuit of the perfect sound, is what makes Queen so extraordinary, and one of the most influential bands across generations.
Montblanc Great Characters Homage To Queen Special Edition
The Montblanc Great Characters Homage to Queen Special Edition takes its design cues from the band’s celebrated Greatest Hits II album, elegantly wrapped in deep blue precious resin with gold-coated fittings, a direct nod to the striking colour combination of the iconic double LP. A closer look at the cap and barrel reveals finely engraved symbols that honour each member’s contribution to the band’s distinctive sound: Mercury’s microphone and Deacon’s bass on the cap, May’s guitar and Taylor’s drums on the barrel. I find this symbolic mapping particularly evocative, as it perfectly captures the harmony of personalities that defined Queen’s creative chemistry.
The clip, designed to resemble a microphone stand, pays tribute to Mercury’s magnetic stage presence, while the cap top silhouette evokes the crown he famously wore when closing concerts with God Save the Queen. The cone, meanwhile, celebrates Brian May’s virtuosity, featuring a refined fluting pattern reminiscent of the volume and tone control knobs from his legendary “Red Special” guitar, complete with a red enamel dot and the engraved release date of Greatest Hits II.
Completing the design is the handcrafted solid Au 585 gold nib, delicately engraved with Queen’s crest—originally designed by Freddie Mercury himself—incorporating the zodiac signs of all four band members and crowned by a phoenix, symbolising rebirth. In my opinion, this might be one of the most personal and meaningful nib engravings in the entire Great Characters line, merging the artistry of writing with the immortal symbolism of Queen’s legacy.
Price: € 1,340.00
Montblanc Great Characters Homage To Queen Limited Edition 1975
The Montblanc Great Characters Homage to Queen Limited Edition 1975, limited to just 1,975 units, is to celebrate the release year of A Night at the Opera Album, which reflects the band’s audacious artistic spirit. The black-and-white rhomboid lacquer pattern on the barrel recalls Freddie Mercury’s famous harlequin stage outfit—one of the most striking symbols of his theatrical presence. Often regarded as one of the most elaborately produced albums of the 20th century, A Night at the Opera showcased the boundless talent of all four band members, and this edition beautifully mirrors that creative symphony.
As a nod to their collective brilliance, the stylised portraits of Mercury, May, Deacon, and Taylor are immortalised on the black PVD-coated cap, inspired by the artwork of Queen II and Hot Space. The cone, featuring guitar knob motifs and an engraving of the album title, pays homage to the technical mastery and precision that defined Queen’s sound, a subtle yet elegant touch I personally find fascinating, as it connects the world of music with that of fine craftsmanship.
Four years after Mercury’s passing, his unmistakable voice was heard once more with the release of Made in Heaven in 1995. Montblanc honours this poignant chapter with a delicate engraving inspired by the album on the hand-crafted rhodium-coated solid Au 750 gold nib. Borrowing from the album cover, it depicts the silhouette of Freddie Mercury in one of his most iconic, triumphant stage poses, a powerful symbol of artistic immortality. Through this gesture, Montblanc ensures that the spirit of Freddie lives on, echoing the same passion, artistry, and fearless creativity that defined both the man and his music.
Price: € 4,400.00
Montblanc Great Characters Homage To Queen Limited Edition 95
As the number of pieces per edition decreases, the intricacy of detail rises—and nowhere is this more evident than in the Montblanc Great Characters Homage to Queen Limited Edition 95. Limited to just 95 pieces, marking the release year of Made in Heaven, this edition captures one of the band’s most unforgettable moments: their legendary performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert in London—often hailed as one of the greatest live shows in rock history.
The pen features a striking gold skeleton overlay that evokes the energy of that monumental event, with the six songs performed that day—Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Ga Ga, Hammer to Fall, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, We Will Rock You, and We Are the Champions—engraved across the solid Au 750 gold structure, set against a deep-black lacquer base. The engraved pattern on the forepart takes inspiration from the very stage design of that concert, adding yet another layer of narrative charm to the edition. This is, by far, one of my favourite creations, as it encapsulates not only the spirit of that historic performance but also some of my all-time favourite songs from the band.
Queen showed the world that music should not only be heard, but also felt and lived. Remarkably, they achieved this without elaborate lighting or the typically flamboyant costumes of their frontman. The only extravagant elements Mercury allowed himself that night—a studded armband and matching belt, inspired the design of the cap and cone rings. The cap top, meanwhile, reflects the crown he wore during his final performance, while the solid Au 750 bi-colour gold nib bears Mercury’s silhouette backed by the band’s legendary logo. A piece of remarkable craftsmanship, it stands as both a tribute and a testament—proof that, as Montblanc’s editions grow rarer, their stories grow ever more intricate.
Price: € 44,000.00
Montblanc Great Characters Homage To Queen Limited Edition 30
The Montblanc Great Characters Homage to Queen Limited Edition 30 celebrates the 30th anniversary of Made in Heaven, the band’s fifteenth and final studio album. For this piece that comes in just 30 units, Montblanc used a solid Au 750 white gold skeleton structure. Beneath it, the contrasting blue lacquer features grooves that precisely mirror those of the original record, while the platinum-coated barrel is wrapped in a rhomboidal harlequin pattern crafted in white gold and overlaid with shimmering blue lacquer diamonds. The titles of three songs from the album—Mother Love, Made in Heaven, and Too Much Love Will Kill You—adorn the skeleton overlay on the cap.
A ring of precious blue sapphires encircles the solid Au 750 white gold cap with its crown-shaped silhouette, surmounted by a dome bearing the Montblanc emblem rendered in pavé-set blue sapphires. To me, it looks more like a piece of jewelry rather than a fountain pen.
Another sapphire band marks the transition from the barrel to the white gold-coated cone, whose form evokes the volume and tone control knobs of an electric guitar. In a remarkable gesture of authenticity, the tip of the cone holds an inlay crafted from wood taken from Roger Taylor’s original drumsticks, intricately interwoven with guitar strings once played by Brian May himself, a tangible link between the world of music and craftsmanship.
The solid Au 750 rhodium-coated gold nib bears an engraving of Freddie Mercury in his iconic victorious pose, while the signatures of all four band members grace the forepart in recognition of their collective genius. With its exceptional attention to material, meaning, and memory, this edition feels less like an instrument and more like a time capsule, one that immortalises the final chapter of Queen’s extraordinary story.
Price: € 84,000.00
Montblanc Great Characters Homage To Queen Limited Edition 8
For this final masterpiece, Montblanc seems to have unleashed its full imaginative power, pushing creativity, detail, and storytelling to their absolute limits. The Montblanc Great Characters Homage to Queen Limited Edition 8 is a tribute to the band’s theatrical essence and to Freddie Mercury’s unmatched stage presence. Inspired by his regal outfit from the Magic Tour—Queen’s last tour in its original line-up—the edition reinterprets the iconic costume modeled after Napoleon’s coronation robes. The solid Au 750 yellow gold cap and barrel feature a delicate guilloché pattern, layered with translucent carmine-red lacquer that radiates warmth and confidence rather than excess.
The robe’s ermine trim is reimagined by Montblanc’s artisans as bands of brilliant-cut diamonds and dark blue sapphires, a detail that, to me, beautifully reflects Mercury’s balance between grandeur and grace. Discreet fleur-de-lys motifs decorate both the barrel and the solid Au 750 gold cone, their linear engravings reminiscent of guitar strings, an understated nod to the music that defined a generation. The cone is finished with a red garnet, a subtle motif of Mercury’s fiery spirit.
The Queen emblem takes form as a finely embossed Au 750 gold relief on the cap, standing out vividly against the carmine lacquer. Around the forepart, a winding pattern inspired by a royal sash adds a final layer of movement, while the crown-shaped silhouette of the cap top is adorned with a ring of mother-of-pearl lacquer and deep-black accents, evoking the texture of ermine trim.
Above it, a diamond band encircles the Montblanc emblem set in solid gold, a composition that feels less ornamental and more like a coronation in miniature. The filigree structure around it recalls the radiating crosses of the British flag—a poetic synthesis of pride, artistry, and identity that Mercury embodied on and off stage.
The handcrafted Au 750 gold nib wasn’t left behind; it, too, carries meaning. Engraved with a crown and set with a brilliant-cut diamond, it celebrates both the band’s British heritage and their enduring reign as the kings of rock. Limited to just eight pieces, this edition feels like a love letter written in gold and light, a testament to Montblanc’s belief that storytelling, when pursued to its highest form, transforms into art itself.
Price: € 200,000.00
Complementing the writing instruments, the collection also includes a pair of cufflinks created especially for the occasion, along with a dedicated ink bottle.
According to the manufacturer, the collection is available from November through authorised boutiques and official Montblanc stores.
