Montblanc (company)

Montblanc or Montblanc International GmbH is a leading manufacturer of high quality writing instruments, watches, jewelery and leather goods. The company has its headquarters in Hamburg, where about 1,000 of the 3,300 employees work. Although pens are still the main support of sales, but has been extended since the range of the mid-1990s, are more than 40 percent of the proceeds from sales of leather goods, watches, jewelry, accessories and perfume. 90 percent of total sales are doing abroad, particularly in Asia, generates.

The original German company Montblanc was founded in 1977 acquired by the British Dunhill Group and belongs since 1993 to the Swiss Richemont group. The business is concentrated in the Mont Blanc International GmbH, based in Hamburg. At that owns 16 subsidiaries in Europe, North America and Asia, including the Mont Blanc Germany GmbH in Hamburg, the Montblanc Simplo Ges.mbH in Vienna and the Mont Blanc Suisse SA in Zurich and the Montblanc Montre SA in Le Locle, which is responsible for the production of wristwatches. The Mont Blanc was estimated revenue for fiscal year 2011 by Richemont to 672 million euros.

• 3.1 Watches
• 3.2 Perfume

History

1906 returned the German businessman, August Eberstein, and Alfred Nehemias back from a trip to the USA and the UK. There they were fascinated by the newly developed and not yet fully mature fountain pens that have an internal ink reservoir and thereby of a inkwell were independent. 1906, the engineer Eberstein in Berlin, the company Simplizissimus fountain pen. 1907 this company was renamed the Simplo Filler Pen Company and a year later (1908 ) moved to Hamburg. The term " Simplo " stood for " simple ", " easy " to use fountain pens.

1908 " SIMPLO Filler Pen Co. GmbH " by entering was officially founded the Hamburg Commercial Register. Alfred Nehemias, August Eberstein and Max Koch ( banker ) were cited as active partners. Claus Johannes Voss, a Hamburg stationer, was a silent partner. Initially, the company had 22 employees and produced on behalf of other companies writing instruments. Even in 1908 the first own fountain pen " Rouge et Noir" ( black pen from Ebonite hard rubber with red cap head) has been introduced. This was the exact replica of a " safety fountain pen " (Safety Filler ) of the American manufacturer Moore ( Moore's Non- Leakable Fountain Pen from 1899 to 1920 ) from Boston. It finally began outside of Hamburg pens for sale. The first customer outside of Hamburg was Dörrbecker writing culture in Bremen, still sell Montblanc products.

1910 was a technically improved, crafted crafted fountain pen for the first time under the name " Mont Blanc " on the market. He had a very white cap head and met the design largely the Rouge -et- Noir. However, a simple, white cap could not be trademarked, so that in 1913 the trademark still used - was developed and registered as a trademark and then on adorned all writing instruments of the company - the Montblanc star. Ultimately, however, these are not just a star, but to the stylized summit of the Mont Blanc with its six valleys. ( Note the different notation: in a word = the company, in two words = the mountain. ) During this time, trade missions have already been in other European countries, for example in London and Paris, established. In 1914, the Simplo Filler Pen & Co. in Simplo renamed Füllfedergesellschaft. In subsequent years, Montblanc own businesses opened their doors in several cities of the German Empire.

Until 1922 Mont Blanc developed a fountain pen with plunger mechanism made ​​of black precious resin with gold pen. As of 1924, the highest quality product line was marketed as a so-called masterpiece with a lifetime warranty. This term then designated no specific form or a specific design, but realized with these products quality was a major influence on the reputation of Mont Blanc. Not least because of impressive advertising campaigns, the company was able to consolidate already in the 1920s, his reputation internationally as a manufacturer of luxury writing instruments. From 1929 masterpiece springs carried the inscription " 4810 ", which was then officially measured height of the mountain Mont Blanc in meters. In March 1934, the company was renamed the still existing Montblanc Simplo GmbH. 1935 took over a Montblanc leather goods manufacturer from Offenbach and extended the segment to cases and pencil cases made ​​of leather etc. In the Second World War, the Mont Blanc factories were completely destroyed and had to be rebuilt after the war. Therefore, Montblanc pens in Denmark were built in this period.

Since 1952, the " 149er ", the currently best known "masterpiece", manufactured and produced to this day barely changed form. Trademark is next to the whitewashed star a special clip on the spring and the engraving " 4810 ". 1955, the then modern " 60 Line" collection has been introduced. In the following years there were other series, many of which were subsequently reinstated. To date, the masterpieces represent a significant part of the writing instruments segment, also the writing instrument series Bohème offered (since 2003) ( since 2000 ) and Star Walker. Since 1991, Montblanc pens are provided in response to the originating mainly from the Asian region Mont Blanc fakes with serial numbers. The brand " Montblanc " and the term "masterpiece" are not clearly protected and are used worldwide by several companies, including those from other industries. Montblanc products are therefore marked with additional protected brand names.

In the 1970s, the company ran in periods of declining sales due to increasing competition from cheap brands as well as a general renunciation of consumers of fountain pens (because of devotion to ball point pens) in a crisis. Mont Blanc last tried in vain to increase sales by producing low -priced fountain pen. 1977 therefore acquired the British Dunhill Group corporate majority of Mont Blanc. 1985 took over the Alfred Dunhill, Ltd.. the company Montblanc completely. Only in the 1980s experienced the Mont Blanc fountain pen under the leadership of Dunhill, who stopped the Mont Blanc range in the low-cost segment, as prestigious luxury renaissance. 1993 Dunhill Holding was merged with Cartier and renamed Groupe Vendôme, which was bought in 1998 by the Swiss Richemont Group. Mont Blanc is one among other brands until today to Richemont Group.

From the mid- 1990s extended Montblanc product portfolio. Since then, there under the name Mont Blanc for men and women as well as leather goods such as handbags or belts, jewelry (since 1995 ) (since 1996), such as necklaces, rings, cufflinks, etc., wrist watches (since 1997) as well as licensed sunglasses (since 2001 with license at Marcolin ) and perfume (since 2001) to buy.

In 1990 the first international Montblanc boutique was opened in Hong Kong; followed by stores in Paris and London. 1999, a flagship store in New York City was inaugurated. The end of 2011 there were worldwide in over 70 countries, a total of 400 Mont Blanc shops. To this end, over 10,000 outlets come in luxury retail. In fiscal 2011, sales of Mont Blanc made ​​with 672 million euros ( at an operating profit of 109 million Euro ) approx 10% of the total turnover of the Richemont group. Mont Blanc employed worldwide in 2011 approximately 3,300 employees, including approximately 1,000 in Germany.

Time, it turned Montblanc writing implements other brands such as Dunhill, Montegrappa (Italy) and Cartier pens (France) ago. Now, this is not the case anymore. Thus, the production of these pens in Hamburg was set, for example after the sale of the brand Montegrappa by Richemont in 2009.

Mont Blanc did not begin until the fall of 2012 with the online distribution of its products. Previously, the products could be purchased exclusively through the Mont Blanc boutiques and authorized dealers. Since 2012, Montblanc is building its e-commerce channels and on and has Mont Blanc Online Stores in USA, UK, France and Germany. In the summer of 2013 Italy and Spain followed.

Writing Instruments

Collections

• Masterpiece (in different designs and materials, including the classic masterpiece masterpiece 149 and Solitaire )
• Bohème ( introduced in 2000, reminiscent of the original " Rouge et Noir" collection series in various designs and materials )
• Starwalker ( introduced for a younger target group in 2003 series with floating Montblanc emblem in transparent cap top )
• Etoile de Montblanc ( with floating diamonds in the shape of the Montblanc emblem in transparent dome, in different versions )

Collector's editions

The various collectors editions with limited stock ( Limited Edition ) aimed primarily at collectors, typical collector outputs are:

• Writers Editions (since 1992 is published annually an issue in honor of a writer, for example, Hemingway, Schiller, Franz Kafka, Oscar Wilde, Thomas Mann etc)
• Patron of the Arts Edition ( honors since 1992, this strictly limited edition significant patrons of the arts and cultural history, for example, Peter the Great, Lorenzo di Medici, Elizabeth I, etc.)
• Anniversary in 1924, 75 Edition ( anniversary edition of the 100 - and 75 - year anniversary of the company)
• Special Theme Editions ( luxurious special issues on specific topics, for example, with Lalique glass, with Meissen porcelain, jade, etc.) Annual Editions (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 with Meissen porcelain cap )
• Skeleton Editions ( with skeleton -like Mittelbau, the clear view of the inner life allows )
• Diva Line (in homage to famous Hollywood divas: Greta Garbo, 2006; Marlene Dietrich, 2007, Ingrid Bergman, 2009)
• Artisan Editions ( Montblanc Prince Rainier III Limited Edition 81 of 2007 with unit price 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)

In addition, there are several special editions that are not limited in quantity, but are only produced a certain time. These include:

• Donation Pens ( A portion of the proceeds of these writing instruments since 2000 and made ​​famous under the name of musicians offered is used for the active promotion of culture. )
• 2011 was of Montblanc 's exclusive jewelry and stationery collection " Princess Grace de Monaco - A tribute to grace and elegance" hung up. The company supported with this collection at the same time the Princess Grace Foundation with a donation of $ 1 million.

Other lines of business

Since the 1990s Montblanc also offers luxuries such as Leather goods, watches, licensed to perfume and sunglasses.

Watches

The Mont Blanc watches are manufactured since 1997 in Le Locle in the Neuchâtel Jura. The annual production of this "normal" watches ( in the price range of around 3,000 to 4,000 EUR ) is approximately 70,000 copies. Are the models of the series Villeret 1858, which are produced in Villeret of the former clock factory Minerva and cost depending on the version 60000-400000 EUR In a higher league. The Montblanc Nicolas Rieussec clock, named after the inventor of the chronograph, was awarded in 2009 with the third prize of Montre de l' année 2009.

Perfume

Since 2001, Montblanc offers license - cooperation beginning with Wella / Procter & Gamble and since 2010 with the New York perfume manufacturer Inter Parfums, Inc. fragrances for men and women under the following name: Présence (2001), Présence Cool (2002 ) Présence d'une femme (2002), Individuel (2004), femme Individual (2004), Star Walker ( 2005), femme de Mont Blanc ( 2006), Homme exceptionnel (2006), Legend (2011), Legend pour Femme (2012 ).

Arts and Culture

Mont Blanc been involved for many years in the field of art and culture. How to exhibit their works in Montblanc boutiques eg young artists such as Gabrielle Picco, Fabian Reimann and Michael Hakimi. Mont Blanc works within the Montblanc Cultural Foundation closely with the " Galerie der Gegenwart " in Hamburg. In addition, the company gives the " Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award" an internationally recognized cultural award, the ten contemporary patrons from ten countries honor each year, the talented artists are at your side and support them with generous private funds

In addition, Montblanc supports as part of its charitable activities since 2005 UNICEF with various campaigns. After the campaigns "Sign up for the right to write" ( 2005) and " The Power to write" (2007) leads Mont Blanc community involvement in 2009 with the campaign " Signature for Good " section. For every product sold from the Signature -for- Good- collection part of the proceeds will be donated to UNICEF. This UNICEF is assisted in his education and school programs in less developed countries and the literacy rate increased there.

Trivia

• Along with the magazine awards gala Montblanc since 2003 the title couple of the year. Price serves as an exclusive fountain pen in white gold with heart-shaped ruby. It is the " Bohème - Je t'aime " for about 18,000 euros.
• In 2009, a total of 396 Mont Blanc pens were ordered to the value of 68,800 Euros and paid for by tax money of 115 members of parliament. The Taxpayers Association criticized the shopping especially because many buyers at the present moment it was clear that they would retire shortly from the Parliament. The purchase was apparently made, since every Member 'm a budget of office equipment up to an annual amount of 12,000 euros available and it go back unused amounts to the Bundestag.