Behind the scenes at Montblanc: Everything here has a hidden meaning
There are very few companies that value their own history as much as Montblanc. We took a look behind the scenes at Montblanc Haus in Hamburg.
We want to know as much as possible about our products, which is why we participate in numerous courses and training sessions. These also include factory visits – visits directly to the production facilities. We recently visited the Montblanc pen factory in Hamburg, accompanied by our new colleague Adam from the Montblanc boutique in Bratislava. Read his article to find out how he enjoyed the visit.
Trip to Hamburg
On October 12, 2022, several colleagues from Watch de Luxe and I took part in an unforgettable excursion—a visit to Montblanc Haus in Hamburg, an amazing gallery capturing individual traces of the past of this extraordinary company. It was impressive both visually and technically. As one of the newest employees at Watch de Luxe, I was pleasantly surprised to have the opportunity to take part in a work experience that allowed me to get to know the essence of the Montblanc brand firsthand.
In the early hours of the morning, we traveled with enthusiasm to beautiful Vienna, from where we flew to Germany's second largest city, Hamburg. The flight was smooth and the weather was beautiful, which only added to our excitement about the trip. After arriving at the airport of the majestic city of Hamburg, we took the subway to the hotel, where we naturally enjoyed a toast of malt whiskey with smiles on our faces. After a short rest in our rooms, we took a walk through the evening city with its admirable architecture reflecting the industrial style of the metropolis. Impressive brick houses, apartment buildings, and essentially the entire historic center in earthy colors evoke the ambition to keep the city's history present at all costs.
We ended the first day with dinner at a restaurant on the banks of the Elbe River. During a pleasant meal in the dim light, we exchanged insights into the culinary knowledge of Hamburg's masters in preparing seafood dishes, but of course many others as well. We exchanged plates and commented on the flavors with humor and admiration, although, to be honest, I have never eaten a bloodier steak. Too bad.
Welcome to Montblanc Haus
After a classic German hotel breakfast, which definitely favors sweet dishes over savory ones, we moved on to the Montblanc product manufacturing complex. It is worth mentioning right from the start that every part of the company has some hidden meaning. nbsp;For example, the Montblanc Haus building itself is essentially an enlarged version of a pen box from the 1970s, in which Montblanc pens were sold. The exterior of the building is decorated with stonework depicting more than two-meter-high images of bags with painted designs, one of which was a grotesque portrait of Marilyn Monroe in the Great Characters line.
Upon entering the gallery itself, we were greeted with a smile by a Montblanc Haus guide who was brimming with knowledge about every part of the gallery. nbsp;In the reception hall, an artwork by a young Asian artist hung from the ceiling in the form of a chandelier made of origami animals. nbsp;Each room was brimming with the history of the brand, but right at the beginning we had the opportunity to admire the first pens from the Mont Blanc factory, including the Rouge et Noir pen, which was created back when the company was still called Simplo Filler Pen Co.
The pens in the glass display cases also contained their original packaging, even with the original paper wrappings on the boxes.& nbsp;The funny thing was that we spent quite a long time at each exhibit, which did not make the guide very happy, and he kept urging us to continue with the presentation. Well, we were just too interested.
Nobel Prize winners, unique steel nibs, and Voltaire
One of the most beautiful pieces decorating the gallery is a circular dome in the shape of a table made from all models of pens from the iconic Meisterstuck line, including the diamond Solitaire created from exactly 4,800 diamonds. the shape of a table made from all models of pens from the iconic Meisterstuck line, including the diamond Solitaire created from exactly 4,810 diamonds, or the only pen with a steel nib produced due to the unavailability of gold during World War II. nbsp;The walls of the rooms feature various calligraphic manuscripts by distinguished guests who have visited the Montblanc Haus gallery, many of which were donated by the families of these great figures. One of the walls is dedicated to Nobel Prize winners, featuring original texts written in their own handwriting.
The oldest item in the entire Montblanc Haus is a handwritten artifact written by Voltaire himself dating back to the 18th century.& nbsp;The entire gallery contains more than 400 pens, each of which is unique and marked by the history of humanity in different periods of human society. One of the great experiences was trying out the manuscript with pens from the Montblanc range. Of course, we all diligently signed the guest book, where we will be immortalized for many years to come.
Another great experience you can have at Montblanc Haus is visiting the circular room created by LED screens, which project Montblanc's DNA in an impressive digital presentation. To be honest, given the number of swirling colorful elements constantly attacking the eyes in endless spirals, it all seemed hypnotic to me. After leaving this room, I even felt nauseous.
Gold everywhere
After the gallery tour, we moved on to the Montblanc factory, but before entering, the guide emphasized that photography and filming were prohibited. Montblanc guards its manufacturing secrets like the apple of its eye. Not to mention how German residents guard their privacy. First of all, we were fascinated by the method of collecting gold in the production of hand-cut and shaped nibs. Each room in the factory is equipped with a sophisticated filtration system that captures gold particles in its filters, and in two years, these filters accumulate more than €20,000 worth of gold. Given that gold particles float freely in the air throughout the factory, Montblanc employees hardly ever suffer from illness, as they are constantly breathing in gold. It is well known that this precious metal has exceptional cleansing and antibacterial effects on the human body.
However, gold dust is not only collected from the air. All floors in the workshop are wooden, and gold particles that fall onto the floor are constantly pressed into the wood by workers' shoes. So if the factory ever decides to move somewhere else or, God forbid, close down, the wooden floors will be torn up and burned to ashes, from which the gold will then be extracted through a chemical process. Imaginative, isn't it? In essence, however, Montblanc uses classic manufacturing machines for processing thermoplastics, with the difference that instead of plastic, they use precious resin.
What fascinated me most, however, was the soundproof room where workers test each tip—not visually, but by feeling the tip's drag on the paper and, above all, by its sound! These tests of perfection are accompanied by skills acquired through many years of manufacturing experience. If the workers were to leave the company overnight, the business would literally have to close down, because practice and experience are at the heart of Montblanc's product manufacturing. Unlike black ink, invisible ink is used to test the nibs, especially by customers. If the nib is faulty, it is immediately sent back to be remelted and the process starts all over again.
We ended our visit to the Mont Blanc factory with a German-style lunch prepared by Montblanc Haus itself as a thank you for our visit. Of course, we were treated to a traditional appetizer of bread with butter drizzled with olive oil.& nbsp;Full of new knowledge and, above all, after a wonderful experience, we took a cruise around Hamburg with a visit to the largest port in Europe. The weather was kind to us on both days of our visit. I must say that this experience will stay with me for a long time, and I am grateful that I was able to be part of this inspiring trip.
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