Montblanc is primarily known for its writing instruments. So how did the transition to other luxury products come about?
It was our customers who started asking us to expand to include other products. Our first concentric circle – we call them concentric circles around our writing instruments – had leather products that were still close to writing. We created leather products that could carry a writing instrument, and then expanded to leather goods without writing instruments like wallets and briefcases. We embarked from there and looked at the values of the brand and other products that could transmit the same values. Watches were a natural progression because they are handcrafted and can be handed down from father to son and we were asked to continue to be ‘fashionable’ and create glasses or perfumes, which are both licensed products.

This jewellery salon is the first of its kind for Montblanc. What has your relationship with India been like?
In India we started as a diversified luxury brand. Here the perception was not of Montblanc the writing company but Montblanc the luxury brand. India became a natural choice for our first jewellery boutique because here the brand probably has the highest image of all our markets. And in Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in Mumbai, we have our other boutique which is commercially the most successful one. And you go where the success is.

What makes this salon unique?
We have physically produced only single pieces for some of these designs, especially for this boutique. There are some where only one was produced for India and about 20 or 30 for the world market, which on a worldwide basis is nothing. It is very exclusive. A customer will find very unique pieces here that are not available anywhere else.

What inspired the Coeur à Coeur set?
One of our greatest strengths are the craftsmen in our atelier. Our products are not machine made somewhere with labels that are added on later. Our biggest strength is our logo and we wanted to put this in our jewellery. We had to do the special ‘star-in-the-star’ design. We worked some years to perfect and patent it. This star-cut diamond has 42 different facets and a special sparkle because there are so many facets in such a small area.

What should buyers know about the origins of this collection?
Many years ago we bought a small manufacturer of watches in Switzerland and the watches you see in the show windows have all been manufactured there. Around 40 watchmakers make approximately 120 watches a year, so you can imagine the detail. One watchmaker makes about three watches per year. That is real craftsmanship. There is the Meisterstück Solitaire Royal (fountain pen) with 4,810 diamonds and we have a special diamond setter who does this and can create only two pens a year. The shape of the pen makes it difficult to create, it is round and conical. It is easy to put diamonds on a ring but to put 4,810 diamonds on a pen’s surface is an art.

How do you deal with counterfeit products in the market?
The products in here are too difficult to manufacture. Our leather products and keychains are often replicated. We have a big trademark protection department and they work with the police and local authorities in countries that do manufacture counterfeit pieces. We have strong relationships with the customs department of many countries, they have clear guidelines to identify real Montblanc products.

Do you have a customer in mind when you design?
Our marketing team would have a clear description of who that would be! But no, there isn’t any one customer you hunt for. There is the collector who collects pens or watches for their technical features or because they are rare. A lot of these products have concepts to them and are issued to honour artistes like (actor, director) Max Reinhardt or (Austrian architect and sculptor) Friedensreich Hundertwasser. Those who buy these are aficionados not just of the artiste but also of the design. There are customers for whom it is an investment which will appreciate in value. The limited editions auctioned at Sotheby’s are seven or 10 times more expensive than the day they were bought.

Given the market, do you think this is the best time to launch this salon?
It’s like having children, there is never a right time. If you take a long-term strategic decision knowing you have a strong concept and that you are a strong brand, you don’t worry about the future. Montblanc is more than 100 years old, we have had two world wars, so what is this economic crisis? The Indian market has been growing since day one. We recently opened a boutique in Pune; we’re going to open another in Delhi and are looking at locations like Kolkata and Chennai.

Montblanc takes up a lot of social causes. It recently undertook the ‘Signature for Good campaign’.
I’ve been with Montblanc for 25 years. When I started, Montblanc was not a very profitable company but when our business turned better, our management was very committed to give back some of the good things we had experienced and that has a very long tradition. I remember when Germany was unified almost 20 years ago, the Montblanc management was standing at the border just handing out vouchers. When you look at this a little more philosophically, writing is culture and art. And at a time when all sorts of other means of communication are popping up, we feel committed and obliged to support the art of writing. This UNICEF initiative fits into our philosophy, how we see our business and how we see the world.

What can we expect from Montblanc in the future?
For 2009 we have a strong initiative for India, over and above the UNICEF initiative, that combines unique products and a social cause. We will not go into other product segments because everything that is related to fashion is not for us. Montblanc is craftsmanship and if you go for fashionable products they go out of style. Montblanc’s products must be timeless. If you do too many things the product won’t have your DNA, which is unfair to your real aficionados. We have enough ideas to carry us through for decades.

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