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Tempted By A Snake: Montblanc's One-Of-A-Kind Fountain Pen

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If you’re a watch lover, the name Montblanc no doubt conjures images of beautifully crafted Swiss timepieces from such collections as Villeret, TimeWalker and Nicolas Rieussec, among many others. If you also like pens, you know that the name Montblanc first came to the fore at the turn of the twentieth century as a manufacturer of finely crafted German-made writing instruments. In more recent history, Montblanc has been credited with putting fine pens in the hands of tastemakers the world over, spawning the return of the fountain pen as a coveted accessory and collectible. This year the Hamburg-based firm, now part of the Richemont Group, is celebrating 110 years since its founding as the Simplo Filler pen company, returning to its roots with a new one-of-a-kind pen inspired by a true piece of history: the Rouge et Noir.

The original Rouge et Noir (“Red and Black”), introduced in 1909, was crafted in black ebonite and fitted with a red-crowned cap. Its French moniker was just the ticket to appeal to educated Europeans, or so the company’s owners thought, but it was not immediately popular. Its true acclaim was to come later, as the company found its equilibrium and ascertained its emblematic Mont Blanc snow-capped mountain peak insignia. It eventually took the writing instrument world by storm with the Montblanc Meisterstück—the shiny black pen model most associated with the brand. Today, the original Rouge et Noir can claim high prices at auction and is considered highly collectible—if you’re lucky enough to find one.

The commemorative Rouge & Noir is part of Montblanc’s Heritage Collection, and the ultra-limited edition high-jewelry Serpent versions are a tribute to the Montblanc serpent-clip pen designs of the 1920s. The one-of-a-kind Rouge & Noir Ultimate Serpent Limited Edition 1 weighs in at 130g, with 99g of rose gold—the highest amount of gold ever used in the manufacturing of a Montblanc fountain pen. The cap and barrel are set with about 15.34 carats of dark blue sapphires forming the truly spectacular backdrop for the coiling hand-engraved serpent, which sparkles with 153 individually cut diamonds. When the cap is removed, a second serpent is visible on the rose gold nib, with two rubies set as eyes. The cap crown glows with a 6.15-carat Montblanc Diamond, a proprietary design. The cost? About $1.36 million.

The Rouge & Noir Imperial Serpent Limited Edition 3 features a white gold snake set with 55 individually cut diamonds and 106 sapphires coiling around the hand-engraved  body of the pen. Comprising just three pieces, this edition is topped with a 2.25 carat Montblanc Diamond.

The Royal Serpent Limited Edition 10 combines a gray PVD-coated snakeskin motif with details in solid white gold. The serpent on each of the ten pieces in the edition is set with diamonds and rubies, while the Montblanc snow cap crowning the cap is paved with 72 diamonds.

Finally, The Serpent Limited Edition 110 is made of graphite-colored PVD-coated titanium with a white gold serpent encircling its body. The serpents' eyes are rubies, on both the clip and the white gold nib of the pen, while the clip also features the snake's flexible forked tongue in a touch of whimsy. The Montblanc emblem on the cap crown is crafted from mother-of-pearl set in brightly colored resin. This edition is limited to 110 pieces in honor of the number of years the manufacture has been in operation.