When it comes to great pieces of writing instruments, Montblanc stands out from the industry for a good reason. You maybe remember some of their most unique creations, like Montblanc Patron of Art Peggy Guggenheim or Montblanc Writers Edition William Shakespeare, for instance. Well, today, I’m going to write about a fountain pen that has become very rare and worth a little fortune. The Montblanc John Lennon Skeleton 70 Limited Edition, it’s a pure fascination and depicts perfection at any level, also over 10 years after its launch.
Now, before you start reading the article, I would like to kindly ask you to open your favorite music streaming platform and set the following songs of John Lennon in the queue: 1. Stand by me, 2. (Just like) Starting over, 3. Imagine. Now that you’ve set everything up, we can dive into one of the most unique Limited Edition Fountain pens Montblanc ever created.
Launched in 2010, the year the artist would have celebrated the 70th anniversary of his life, the fountain pen was limited to 70 pieces to commemorate the 70th birthday of this music legend. Due to the limited amount of pieces, it sold out instantly and became Montblanc’s most eagerly-sought limited edition. Due to the fact that it is unavailable from Montblanc, it’s hard to even find it on the secondary market.
Before we get into the fountain pen’s features, let’s find out what inspired Montblanc to create such an emblematic masterpiece. As you may know, John Lennon was not only a legend of music and art, but also a peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon was a very complex man with a vivid personality, characterized for the rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, writing, drawings, on film and in interviews. His unconventional music style along with his fresh approach has inspired a lot of people worldwide and the messages of peace he spread, are still valid today.
Even if the Montblanc John Lennon 70 doesn’t belong to the Great Characters Series like Mahatma Gandhi LE241, Einstein LE99, Leonardo da Vinci LE74, Miles Davis LE90, etc., it’s still an honorable mention paying tribute to a legend of music like John Lennon was… In appreciation of the artist, his musical activity as well as his dreams of seeing the world a better place, Montblanc honored John Lennon by donating 600 EUR from the sale of each fountain pen to cultural projects supporting young artists around the world.
When you see the fountain pen for the first time, you get instantly overwhelmed by those incredible details of high-quality craftsmanship. Celebrating John Lennon’s famous song “Imagine”, both design and construction are absolutely astonishing. The fountain pen itself is like a sculpture made by Michelangelo, crafted with the precision of Swiss watchmakers and built to last due to the high-quality materials and german engineering. The fountain pen’s barrel is encircled by the word “Imagine” which is rendered in 18 karats white gold as an hommage to Lennon’s greatest solo hit.
To provide a tridimensional demonstrator effect to the fountain pen’s body, a translucent blue precious resin shows beneath the skeleton overlay, reminiscent of Lennon’s iconic round blue glasses. The clip is inspired by Lennon’s Gibson guitar and displays fine details such as blue sapphire enriched with three diamonds set as a chord of Imagine. The end part of the barrel features a piano keyboard lacquered.
Regarding the nib, you’ll get fascinated by the details engraved on it. Coming in a medium-size, crafted from 750 solid gold and rhodium-plated, the nib displays in a beautiful manner Lennon’s self-portrait and the release year “2010”. Scribbled so often along with Lennon’s signature, Montblanc took this sketch and engraved it on the nib as a touch of the artist’s personality.
A masterpiece like this one couldn’t come in a regular box, so Montblanc took care of this aspect providing the fountain pen with a nice looking black box with a shiny surface. Certificates and other authenticity papers come along with the fountain pen inside the box.
Regarding the price, the Montblanc John Lennon Skeleton 70 Limited Edition is now worth EUR 37,000 and I’m sure that such an amazing piece like this one will increase its value over time…
image sources: web
