Montblanc’s new collection of pens which honors some of the most respected minds is dedicated to a German mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer – Johannes Kepler. A key figure in the 17th century scientific revolution, he is best known for his laws of planetary motion, based on his works Astronomia nova, Harmonices Mundi, and Epitome of Copernican Astronomy. These works also provided one of the foundations for Isaac Newton’s theory of universal gravitation.
Montblanc Pen Inspired by Johannes Kepler
However, Montblanc Maison Artisan Atelier in Hamburg has produced four styles of pens to honor his legacy. The star of the collection is the one-of-a-kind $1.5 million Johannes Kepler High Artistry Stella Nova Limited Edition 1. If you are wondering why it is so expensive, for starters, the limited-edition pen is made of 5,294 sapphires and 570 diamonds. The sapphires adorning its cap are set in a pattern that emulates the Milky Way, and the pen itself is topped with an extraordinary 6.2-carat D-flawless diamond. Surrounding the brilliant gemstone are three white-gold rings, symbolizing Kepler’s three laws. The fine nib of the elegant fountain pen is engraved with the constellation Ophiuchus, which Kepler wrote about in his 1606 publication De Stella Nova.
Montblanc Pen Inspired by Johannes Kepler
To ensure that your look is as unified as Kepler’s theories, the pen is accompanied by a pair of cufflinks shaped like the scientist’s model of the solar system.
Other pieces in the collection are more affordble, but also limited, such as Johannes Kepler High Pede Serpentari Limited Edition 39 ($48,130), is restricted to just 39 examples worldwide. The white gold pen sports a blue lacquer cap and barrel decorated with three-dimensional engraving of the Ophiuchus and Sagittarius constellations based on an illustration appearing in Kepler’s groundbreaking book De Stella Nova in Pede Serpentarii, which detailed his observations pertaining to the supernova of 1604.
Montblanc Pen Inspired by Johannes Kepler
Further astronomical allusions include the pen’s telescope-like silhouette, three rings on the cap (one of which is set with pave diamonds) representing the scientist’s three laws of planetary motion, and a colored opal on the cap’s top representing a supernova.
The Johannes Kepler High Artistry Astronomia Nova Limited Edition 9 ($140,000), as its name suggests, is limited to nine pieces and also presents a representation of Ophiuchus and Sagittarius on its barrel, although it is rendered in a skeletonized white-gold overlay dotted with diamonds symbolizing stars and colored gemstones standing in for planets.
Montblanc added a mechanical complication to the Johannes Kepler High Artistry Somnium Limited Edition 5 ($513,000 to $556,000, depending on color choice) in the form of a fully functional moon-phase indicator on the cap.
Montblanc Pen Inspired by Johannes Kepler
The display consists of two moving parts: a central Montblanc logo, whose rotation signals that the movement is operating, and the aventurine and white gold moon phase disk itself. Providing power to the mechanical marvel is a special rewinder housed within the pen’s wooden display box.
All four designs in the High Artistry Homage to Johannes Kepler Limited Edition collection will be available exclusively at select Montblanc boutiques starting in April, not online.
Montblanc Pen Inspired by Johannes Kepler
