Montblanc (company)
| Montblanc International GmbH | |
|---|---|
| legal form | GmbH |
| founding | 1908 |
| Seat | Hamburg , Germany |
| Branch | Luxury items |
| Website | www.montblanc.com |
Montblanc or Montblanc International GmbH is one of the leading manufacturers of high-quality writing implements , wristwatches , jewelry and leather goods. The company is headquartered in Hamburg , where around 1,000 of the 3,300 employees worldwide work. Writing implements are still the mainstay of sales, but since the range was expanded in the mid-1990s, more than 40 percent of sales have come from the leather goods , wristwatches, jewelry , accessories and perfume business . 90 percent of total sales are generated abroad, especially in Asia.
The originally German company Montblanc was bought by the British Dunhill Group in 1977 and has been part of the Swiss Richemont Group since 1993 . The business is bundled in Montblanc International GmbH , based in Hamburg. This includes 16 subsidiaries in Europe, North America and Asia, including Montblanc Deutschland GmbH in Hamburg, Montblanc Simplo Ges.mbH in Vienna and Montblanc Suisse SA in Zurich as well as Montblanc Montre SA in Le Locle , which is responsible for the production of wristwatches . Richemont put Montblanc sales at 672 million euros for the 2011 financial year.
history
The German engineer August Eberstein began producing fountain pens in Berlin in 1906 in order to sell them to various stationery dealers in Hamburg and Berlin. Eberstein had gained a wealth of experience in the production of fountain pens in America and registered various patents there. He was supported in particular for export by the German merchant Alfred Nehemias, who had lived in England for a long time.
In 1907, while looking for other investors, Alfred Nehemias made contact with Johannes Voss, an entrepreneur from Hamburg, who was enthusiastic about the new writing instrument. Voss initially wanted to act as a silent partner and found another financier in his neighbor Max Koch, a former civil servant who had inherited. In 1907 the SIMPLO Filler PEN Co. Max Koch was founded, which was entered in the commercial register in early 1908. It was produced in Hamburg in the Industriepalast, Caffamacherreihe 1/5, with 22 employees.
The name SIMPLO was a term for a simple tax in Central Germany and was intended to underline the ease of use of the fountain pen. Eberstein will have been the father of this name. There was no connection to the Berlin manufacturer Armand Lamm (Armand Lamb), who had already offered a fountain pen under the name Simplizissimus in 1905. Rather, it can be assumed that Eberstein brought the name SIMPLO with him from the United States.
The first fountain pens were copies of the "Non-Leakable" model from the American manufacturer Moore, which Eberstein was very familiar with; it was made of hard rubber. It was a so-called sliding fountain pen in which the nib was pushed out. Eberstein also produced safety holders where the spring could be unscrewed and perfected this system. The high functional quality ensured such good sales success that even companies established on the market such as Mars Staedtler and Faber-Castell had their fountain pens manufactured by SIMPLO. SIMPLO sold its products under several names such as ROUGE-ET-NOIR or SIMPLO Gold. The fountain pens were made of hard rubber and initially had a red cap.
In the meantime, only Johannes Voss remained of the original founding shareholders. Max Koch was unable to make the additional capital contributions stipulated in the contract and left as a partner. Alfred Nehemias died suddenly in 1909 and August Eberstein embezzled company property. But Johannes Voss managed to find new shareholders and capable employees so that the young company could remain successful. In 1910 a fountain pen with a white cap head was first offered under the name MONTBLANC. Since the white cap head was not protectable in Germany, they looked for a protectable trademark symbol in order to differentiate themselves from the competition. In 1913 the star was registered as a trademark and in 1914 a star adorned the cap head of a MONTBLANC fountain pen for the first time.
Ultimately, however, it is not a star, but the stylized summit of the Mont Blanc mountain with its six valleys. During this time commercial agencies were already established in other European countries. B. founded in London and Paris. In 1914 the Simplo-Filler-Pen & Co. was renamed : Simplo Fountain Pen Company . In 1919 the first Montblanc store opened in Hamburg, exclusively offering Montblanc products. More were opened in the next few years in Berlin, Cologne, Breslau and other cities.
From 1924, the highest quality product line was marketed as a so-called masterpiece with a lifetime guarantee. At the time, this term did not refer to a special shape or a special design, but the quality achieved with these products was defining for the reputation of Montblanc. Not least through impressive advertising campaigns, the company was able to consolidate its international reputation as a manufacturer of luxury writing implements as early as the 1920s. As early as the mid-twenties, Montblanc was offering high-quality leather goods to round off the range. From 1930 on, Meisterstück springs were engraved with "4810", the officially measured height of the Mont Blanc mountain in meters at the time. In March 1934, the company was renamed Montblanc-Simplo GmbH , which still exists today .
In 1935 Montblanc took over a leather goods manufacturer from Offenbach. During the Second World War, the Montblanc production facilities were largely destroyed and had to be rebuilt after the war. Therefore, the existing production for Montblanc writing instruments in Denmark was expanded during this time.
The "149er", currently the most famous "masterpiece", has been manufactured since 1952 and has been produced in almost unchanged form to this day. In addition to the white star, the trademark is a special clip and the engraving “4810” on the nib. In 1960 the then modern "60 Line" collection was introduced. In the period that followed, there were other series, many of which were later discontinued. To this day, the masterpieces represent an important part of the writing instrument segment , and the writing instrument series Bohème (since 2000) and Starwalker (since 2003) are also offered. Since 1991, the Montblanc pens have been given serial numbers in response to the Montblanc counterfeits, which mainly come from Asia . The “Montblanc” brand and the term “Meisterstück” are not clearly protected and are used by several companies worldwide, including from other industries. Montblanc products are therefore marked with additional protected brand names.
At the end of the 1970s, in times of declining sales figures, the company, like many of its competitors, was under great pressure due to increasing competition from low-cost brands and a general turn away from consumers (due to the use of ballpoint pens). In 1977, the British Dunhill Group had become the majority shareholder and consistently revised the partly no longer profitable and contemporary range. In 1985 Alfred Dunhill Ltd. the company Montblanc completely. In the meantime, high-quality fountain pens have experienced a renaissance and Montblanc has been able to participate very successfully in this trend by resuming and expanding the high-priced and prestigious masterpiece series. At this point in time, none of the competitors had a comparable range that combined tradition with luxury. In 1993 the Dunhill Holding was merged with Cartier and renamed Groupe Vendôme , which was bought by the Swiss Richemont Group in 1998. Montblanc is still part of the Richemont Group, along with other brands. From the mid-1990s, Montblanc expanded the product portfolio . In 1992 the traditional Seeger leather goods were taken over. Since then, leather goods (since 1995) such as handbags and belts have also been available for women and men under the name Montblanc . Later, through other producers, jewelry (since 1996) such as necklaces , rings , cufflinks, etc., wristwatches (since 1997) as well as under license sunglasses (since 2001 with license from Marcolin) and perfume (since 2001) to be bought.
In 1990 the first international Montblanc boutique was opened in Hong Kong ; shops in Paris and London followed. In 1999 a flagship store was opened in New York City . At the end of 2011 there were around 400 Montblanc stores in over 70 countries worldwide. There are also over 10,000 sales outlets in upscale retail. In the 2011 financial year, Montblanc's sales of € 672 million (with an operating profit of € 109 million) accounted for around 10% of the total sales of the Richemont Group. In 2011, Montblanc employed around 3,300 people worldwide, around 1,000 of them in Germany.
At times, Montblanc also manufactured writing implements from other brands such as Dunhill, Montegrappa (Italy) and Cartier pens (France). But this is no longer the case. For example, after Richemont sold the Montegrappa brand in 2009, the production of these writing implements in Hamburg was discontinued. In 2009 it was planned to close the traditional Seeger leather goods and to relocate production to Italy. Montblanc ultimately sold the company to a financial investor.
Montblanc only started selling its products online in autumn 2012. Previously, the products could only be purchased through Montblanc boutiques and authorized dealers. Since 2012, Montblanc has been expanding its e-commerce channels and has online stores in the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Italy and Spain followed in summer 2013.
Writing implements
Collections
- Meisterstück (in various designs and materials, including the classic Meisterstück 149 and Meisterstück Solitaire )
- Bohème (series introduced in 2000, reminiscent of the original “Rouge-et-Noir” collection in various designs and materials)
- StarWalker (series introduced in 2003 for a younger target group with a floating Montblanc emblem in the transparent cap head)
- Etoile de Montblanc (with a floating diamond in the form of the Montblanc emblem in a transparent dome; in various designs)
Collector's editions
The various limited editions are aimed primarily at collectors, typical collector editions are:
- Writers Editions (since 1992 an edition has been published annually in honor of a writer e.g. Hemingway, Schiller, Franz Kafka, Oscar Wilde, Daniel Defoe etc.)
- Patron of the Arts Edition (since 1992 this strictly limited edition has honored important art and cultural patrons of history, e.g. Peter the Great, Lorenzo di Medici, Elisabeth I etc.)
- Anniversary 1924 and 75 Edition (anniversary edition for the 100 and 75 years of the company)
-
Special Theme Editions (luxurious special editions on certain topics, e.g. with Lalique glass, with Meissen porcelain, with jade etc.)
- Annual Editions (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 with cap made of Meissen porcelain)
- Skeleton Editions (with a skeleton-like central structure that allows a clear view of the interior)
- Diva Line (as homage to famous Hollywood divas : Greta Garbo , 2006; Marlene Dietrich , 2007, Ingrid Bergman , 2009)
- Artisan Editions ( Montblanc Prince Rainier III Limited Edition 81 from 2007 with a unit price of 200,000 euros)
- Great characters
- UNICEF Editions (masterpiece "Sign up for the right to write", 2004 and "Signature for Good" Special Edition and Limited Edition, 2009)
There are also various special editions that are not limited in number, but are only produced for a certain period of time. Which includes:
- Donation Pens (Part of the proceeds from these writing implements, manufactured from 2000 and sold under the name of famous musicians, are used to actively promote culture.)
- In 2011, Montblanc launched the exclusive jewelry and stationery collection "Princess Grace de Monaco - A tribute to grace and elegance". With this collection, the company also supported the Princess Grace Foundation with a donation of 1,000,000 dollars .
Other lines of business
Since the 1990s, Montblanc has also offered other luxury items such as B. leather goods and watches as well as perfume and sunglasses under license.
Clocks
The Montblanc wristwatches have been manufactured in Le Locle in the Neuchâtel Jura since 1997 . The annual production of these watches in the price range of around 3,000 to 4,000 euros is around 70,000 copies. The models in the Villeret 1858 series , which are produced in Villeret by the former Minerva watch factory and cost between 60,000 and 400,000 euros, depending on the version , are in a higher league . The Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec watch , named after the inventor of the chronograph , was awarded the third prize of the Montre de l'année 2009 .
Perfume
Since 2001, Montblanc has been offering fragrances for women and men under the following names, initially with Wella / Procter & Gamble and since 2010 with the New York perfume manufacturer Inter Parfums, Inc. under the following names: Présence (2001), Présence Cool (2002), Présence d'une femme (2002), Individuel (2004), Femme Individuelle (2004), Starwalker (2005), Femme de Montblanc (2006), Homme exceptionnel (2006), Legend (2011), Legend pour Femme (2012).
Arts and Culture
Montblanc has been involved in the arts and culture for many years. So z. For example, young artists such as Gabrielle Picco, Fabian Reimann or Michael Hakimi exhibit their works in Montblanc boutiques. Montblanc works closely with the “Galerie der Gegenwart” in Hamburg as part of the Montblanc Cultural Foundation. In addition, the company awards the “Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award”, an internationally recognized culture prize that honors ten contemporary patrons from ten countries every year who support talented artists and support them with generous private funds.
In addition, Montblanc has been supporting UNICEF with various campaigns as part of its charitable commitment since 2005 . After the campaigns “Sign up for the right to write” (2005) and “The Power to write” (2007), Montblanc is continuing its charitable commitment in 2009 with the “Signature for Good” campaign. For every product sold from the Signature for Good collection, part of the proceeds will be donated to UNICEF. This is intended to support UNICEF in its education and school programs in less developed countries and to increase the level of literacy there.
Trivia
- Together with Gala magazine , Montblanc has been awarding the title Couple of the Year since 2003 . The prize is an exclusive fountain pen made of white gold with a heart-shaped ruby . It's the “Bohème - Je t'aime” for around 18,000 euros.
- In 2009, 115 members of the Bundestag ordered a total of 396 Montblanc pens worth 68,800 euros and paid for them with taxpayers' money (known as the Montblanc affair ). The taxpayers' association criticizes purchasing mainly because it was already clear to numerous buyers at the moment that they would be leaving parliament shortly. The purchase apparently came about because each member of the Bundestag had a budget of office supplies up to an annual amount of 12,000 euros and any unused amounts would go back to the Bundestag .
literature
- Kurt Grobecker: Small Chronicle of the House of Montblanc . Christian's printing and publishing house, Hamburg 1993.
- Jens Rösler: The Montblanc Diary & Collectors Guide . Christian's printing and publishing house, Hamburg 1993, ISBN 3-7672-1174-2 .
- Jens Rösler, Stefan Wallrafen: Collectible Stars 1946 to 1979 . Self-published , Cologne 2003.
- Jens Rösler, Stefan Wallrafen: Collectible Stars I 1908 to 1947 . Self-published, Cologne 2014, ISBN 978-3-00-044233-9 .
Web links
- Montblanc (manufacturer's website)
- Montblanc Facebook
- Montblanc Twitter
- collectiblestars.com Digital product archive Montblanc writing instruments
- collectiblestars.de Fountain pen collector Germany
- fountainpen.de - private collector's website for Montblanc fans
- maxpens.de - Collection of old Montblanc writing implements, repair service
Individual evidence
- ↑ Handmade status symbols - also for writing , handelsblatt.com, December 19, 2012.
- ↑ Richemont Annual Report 2011, pp. 3, 20, 35 etc. richemont.com, accessed: July 12, 2012.
- ↑ a b c Berlin telephone books 1905 to 1909
- ↑ a b Montblanc founding history by Jens Rösler can be found at www.collectibleStars.de or www.collectibleStars.com
- ↑ a b Montblanc Archive Jens Rösler: Estate Ernst Rösler, managing partner of Montblanc until 1967
- ↑ a b Montblanc Archive Jens Rösler: Estate of Dr. Jürgen Rösler, managing partner at Montblanc until 1984
- ↑ a b Montblanc Archive Jens Rösler: Notes on the Montblanc history Wolfram Dziambor, managing partner of Montblanc until 1985
- ↑ "Princess Grace de Monaco" special collection. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on March 23, 2012 ; accessed on March 16, 2012 (English). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Presentation of the special collection “Princess to Grace de Monaco” , accessed on March 16, 2012.
- ↑ Z 7/2010, p. 43.
- ^ FH - Watch Of The Year Award - L'Historiques By A Unanimous Decision. Retrieved February 21, 2019 .
- ^ Montblanc Cultural Foundation. Retrieved February 21, 2019 .
- ↑ kulturgutschrift.de ( Memento from December 11, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ The Montblanc and UNICEF partnership empowers children through primary education and literacy programs all across the world. Retrieved February 21, 2019 .
- ↑ Montblanc pledges 1.5 million dollars for education programs. Retrieved February 21, 2019 .
- ↑ WORLD: People of the World: The Couple of the Year . April 30, 2009 ( welt.de [accessed February 21, 2019]).
- ↑ MEPs bought luxury fountain pens for 68,000 euros in Der Spiegel from November 20, 2009.
