Sometimes the best way for a brand to stay current is to look back into the archives and create something inspired by their own heritage. It reiterates the throughline of creativity and reinforces the brand identity by showing just how far back certain design elements can go.
This is exactly what Montblanc has done with their Rouge et Noir Baby Special Edition, the latest release from the iconic brand.
Looking back on a design over a century old, the Baby was first introduced in the 1910’s and 20’s. At the time of their creation, they were among the smallest pens in the market and ushered in a new era to the fountain pen industry. By making a diminutive pen, it was both easy to use and leak-proof, making it the perfect pen to accompany the new Jet Set era of travel by rail and air.
Montblanc’s reimagination of the Baby maintains the high standard of design and brings it into the modern era. It maintains its small shape at only 10 cm long, keeping the classic silhouette of the original. This pen is available in both black and white lacquered options and both are topped with a red finial and the classic snowflake. The fountain pen is equipped with a solid gold nib, while a ballpoint and rollerball are also available in the collection.
This release is accompanied by accessories from the brand as well, including a calfskin leather notebook with digital embossing of a historical mountain motif or a black or coral-coloured calfskin leather Meisterstück Selection Pen Pouch.
Overall, one travels back to a time of luxury when holding a Montblanc and here we have a century of design backing the release of this collection, giving it an air of romance unlike other releases on the market today.
Prices:
Fountain Pen – Black: € 745
Rollerball Pen – Ivory: € 574
Ballpoint Pen – Black: € 452
Pen Pouch: €282
Notebook – Ivory: € 41
So what precisely is the relationship between a pen introduced in the 1910’s and 1920’s to the ‘Jet Set’? I would imagine that the ‘Jet Set’ couldn’t have possibly begun until the introduction of the first passenger jet liner in 1949, some 20-30 years later. Cassini didn’t even coin the phrase until sometime in the 1950’s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igor_Cassini