The Serpent Limited Edition 110 writing instrument from Montblanc's 110th-anniversary collection. Courtesy Montblanc
The Serpent Limited Edition 110 writing instrument from Montblanc's 110th-anniversary collection. Courtesy Montblanc

An insider’s guide to Montblanc’s 110th anniversary celebrations – and collections – in New York



In the Rockefeller Center’s famed Rainbow Room, high above the Manhattan skyline, Hugh Jackman is giving a speech. The Hollywood actor and Montblanc ambassador apologises in advance for all the name-dropping, but he has an anecdote about the Rainbow Room that he’d like to share. Years earlier, while shooting one of his first films, Jackman received a piece of advice from one of his co-stars, a Mr John Travolta. Travolta had a tradition: he would take his wife to the Rainbow Room every year for their anniversary, for a spot of dinner and a spot of dancing. He highly recommended that Jackman do the same. Unbeknown to his wife, Jackman had booked a table at the illustrious rooftop restaurant, but on the evening in question, he ended up working late into the night. They never did make it to the Rainbow Room.

There is a sweet symmetry to the fact that this speech occurs just a few days before Jackman and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, are due to celebrate 20 years of marriage, but we are in New York to mark an altogether different kind of anniversary – Montblanc’s 110th year in existence.

It makes perfect sense that we are celebrating this anniversary in this city. “One of the elements that is very important to the maison and that is fundamental to this anniversary, is the concept of pioneering,” Jerome Lambert, the chief executive of Montblanc, tells me earlier in the day, during a one-on-one interview within the sumptuous confines of The Pierre hotel, a historic New York landmark overlooking Central Park. “One hundred and ten years ago, the founders of the maison took a boat and came to America, and witnessed the progress of America at the end of the 19th century and the start of the 20th. They came home to Hamburg with a lot of dreams and ideas, and that’s what they incorporated into the DNA of the maison.”

Tonight's guest list is star-studded, to be sure – there's Jackman and his wife, but also actress Kate Bosworth, Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco, socialite Olivia Palermo and her husband, Johannes Huebl, Matthew Morrison of Glee fame, and a smattering of Victoria's Secret models, among the 110 attendees – but the real guest of honour lies encased in a glass box, framed against the glittering lights of New York's skyscrapers. The Ultimate Serpent Limited Edition 1 is a Montblanc masterpiece – an unashamedly showy showcase of the brand's prowess when it comes to writing instruments.

“Tonight is the one and only presentation of the Serpent 1, which is an amazing writing instrument that, besides being very impressive aesthetically, has the impressive price tag of €1.2 million [almost Dh5m],” says Lambert. “It’s a unique presentation because it has already been sold, so the owner has allowed us to present it once, and then it will disappear into his collection.”

The solid-rose-gold fountain pen consists of a barrel and cap made from 1,950 dark blue sapphires, crowned with a 6.2-carat diamond in the shape of the Montblanc emblem. Snaking its way up the barrel and emerging at the clip is a serpent, crafted from 153 individually cut and shaped diamonds, with two rubies for eyes.

The pen sets the tone for Montblanc’s 110th Anniversary collection, which is defined by the serpent motif. It is to be found emblazoned on leather goods, crowning pen clips and cuff links in the Rouge & Noir collection, and curling itself around the dial of the Villeret Tourbillon Bi-Cylindrique 110 Years Anniversary Limited Edition. The new wristwatch features an in-house one-minute tourbillon, a double cylindrical balance spring and the maison’s Heures Mystérieuses display. A three-dimensional, hand-engraved, anthracite serpent is integrated into the bezel, while the tourbillon, measuring 18.4mm in diameter, occupies the top half of the watch’s face. A closer look reveals an unusual set of regate-shaped hands that are not attached in the centre, but appear to float above the subdial.

These new products are unveiled in a separate room at the venue, which, in keeping with the name of the new collection, Rouge & Noir, has been transformed into an art-deco-style jazz venue, complete with dramatic red walls and live music courtesy of the Chris Norton band. Six stations, where guests can discover different elements of the Montblanc portfolio, which extends far beyond the world-famous pens to include leather goods, timepieces and other men’s accessories, are dotted around the room.

“When we decided to celebrate our anniversary, we wanted to not only celebrate the founders of our house, but also the era in which it was founded,” Zain Kamal, Montblanc’s creative director, tells me. “The first part of the 20th century was explosive – there were things happening in art, in design, in technology and in the sciences, and people were pushing boundaries everywhere. This was a very potent time.

“When we looked into the archives, we found a writing instrument with a serpent, and we wanted to see where that would take us. Looking at the era itself, we found that the serpent was used in many ways. It was a very potent symbol of speed, power, virility, courage and also intelligence. So we decided to use the serpent as an overarching motif. We started with the writing instrument – but we didn’t want to recreate something. We wanted to take the inspiration and modernise it, make it something future-forward. You don’t celebrate pioneering spirit by rehashing something. Each category needed a different interpretation of the serpent, and we were very clear that we wanted the serpent to be on every category.”

This cross-category approach, where a single motif runs across Montblanc’s various product segments, is quite a radical step for the maison and, hopefully, a sign of things to come. The new collection is also a culmination of Kamal’s three years as creative director of the brand. In the new collection, his attempts to keep things fresh are evident everywhere – in the grey and black palette of the timepiece, in the tarnished metal of the serpent as it sits in the dial, in the boldness of the writing instruments, and in the hand-painting and embossing of the leather goods.

“For me, design is a never-ending process of making something good, even better,” he says. “There is no such thing as a good design. There is a good design solution for that moment. Because design never stops. A designer is a technician who applies artistic tools, in combination with techniques, technology and craftsmanship, to create products that trigger desire and emotion, but at the same time are well-made, well-thought-out and have longevity.”

He recalls a lesson learnt from his first employer, Vivienne Westwood. “You have to always design for the field you are in. When you are designing clothes, you must make things that people want to wear to look beautiful. It’s the same at Montblanc – you have to always remember why you are doing it. If you design for the critic and for Instagram, rather than the wearer, it might be everywhere, but are people going to use it?”

Does he ever feel constrained by the fact that, in the case of the pens and watches at least, he is working with the smallest of canvases – and has to adhere to the codes of a house that has been around for over a century?

“There are no constraints,” he says, defiantly. “If you think of the three values from our heritage: craftsmanship, excellence and innovation, that means we are always pushing ourselves. You always take something and do it really well – and then you look at it again and try to make it better. You are constantly being pushed to be creative. In terms of size, the smaller and more in detail you go, the more creative you can be, and the more choices you have. But you also have to be very confident about the choices you make.”

There is always the risk, when celebrating an anniversary, that brands look backwards, rather than forwards – and become weighed down by their heritage, rather than focusing on remaining modern and relevant. This risk is, of course, heightened when brands choose to look to their archives for inspiration. But 110 years after its launch, Montblanc is managing to strike a fine balance between the past, the present and the future.

“Of course there is always that risk,” Lambert concedes. “But I think it’s very much a question of the creative energy that a maison has. When you see the Serpent 1 or the Villeret Tourbillon Bi-Cylindrique 110 Years Anniversary Limited Edition, you should experience the emotion of discovering something for the first time.”

Read this and more stories in Luxury magazine, out with The National on Thursday, May 12.

sdenman@thenational.ae

Married Malala

Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.

The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.

Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

Emirates exiles

Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.

Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.

Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.

Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.

While you're here
Famous left-handers

- Marie Curie

- Jimi Hendrix

- Leonardo Di Vinci

- David Bowie

- Paul McCartney

- Albert Einstein

- Jack the Ripper

- Barack Obama

- Helen Keller

- Joan of Arc

Ultra processed foods

- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns 

- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;

- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces

- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,

- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.