Since the dawn of time mankind has looked at the skies above in awe, yet only a handful of individuals have successfully unlocked the mysteries of the universe, pushing the boundaries of human knowledge. One of those brilliant minds was Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), a formidable mathematician, astronomer and astrologer, who uncovered the laws of planetary motion, laying the foundations for the development of modern astronomy. Considered by some as the first astrophysicist in the history of science, this free spirit and scientific revolutionary moved beyond hypothetical observations to demonstrate the movement of the planets through mathematical and experimental research.
In honour of a pioneer who inspired generations of scientists after him from Newton to Einstein, the Montblanc Maison Artisan Atelier in Hamburg has produced the Johannes Kepler Limited Edition to honor his legacy.
The Homage to Johannes Kepler High Artistry Limited Edition collection consists of four items, each one of a writing instrument dedicated to capturing the sparkling brilliance of the stars and planets that Kepler loved to study.
Johannes Kepler High Pede Serpentari Limited Edition 39
The Limited Edition 39 draws inspiration from an illustration from his book “De Stella Nova in Pede Serpentarii” that indicated the location of the 1604 supernova on the foot of the Ophiucus constellation. The unusual silhouette of the Au750 solid white gold Limited Edition recalls the Kepler telescope developed to observe the heavens with higher magnification than the existing Galileo telescope. The white gold of the cap top, cone and fittings contrast with the deep blue of the lacquer of the cap and barrel, elegantly set with shimmering diamonds to evoke a star-filled night sky.
Using Hand Engraving Overlacquering – a special technique used for the first time by Montblanc, intricate three-dimensional hand engravings beneath the lacquer depict the Ophiuchus and Sagittarius constellations that he studied in his De Stella Nova. The drafting compass used by Kepler inspired the distinctive design of the clip, which is adorned with a princess-cut sapphire. The inspiration for the engraving on the cone of the writing instrument is the elliptical movement of Mars that Kepler described in his Astronomia Nova, while a further engraving inspired by the astronomer’s model of the solar system featured the Mysterium Cosmographicum decorates the bottom of cone.
The discovery described by Kepler in De Stella Nova of the conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter and the supernova is immortalised on the handcrafted rhodium-coated Au750 gold nib with a precious blue sapphire set on the nib. The inspiration for the engraving on the forepart is Kepler’s depiction of the gravitational pull of the sun on the other planets. The three rings of the cap top of this Limited Edition – one set with a delicate pavé diamonds – symbolize Kepler’s Three Laws of Planetary Motion. Crowning the writing instrument, a uniquely coloured opal in the cap top brings to mind the supernova first described in his treatise – the birth of which proved to Kepler the variability of the universe.
Johannes Kepler High Artistry Astronomia Nova Limited Edition 9
The Limited Edition 9 marks the year 1609 when Kepler first published “Astronomia nova”, regarded as one of the greatest books on astronomy. The Ophiuchus and Sagittarius constellations from his book “De Stella Nova” have been masterfully recreated as a special dual-colour Au750 gold skeletonized overlay, contrasting with the deep blue lacquer underneath. The intricate constellation map is punctuated by sparkling white diamonds representing the bright stars in the sky and other coloured emstones shining as planets. Inspired by his model of orbits from his Mysterium Cosmographicum, a generous lapis lazuli shaped like a globe sits atop the cap encircled in a sculptural structure made of three rows of pavé diamonds. The forepart of the fountain pen is etched with a delicate drawing of “gravity” from Kepler’s Astronomia Nova. Evoking the winter solstice of 1600, while Kepler was in Prague with his another legendary astronomer Tycho Brahe, the cone features a representation of the sky they observed, set with dazzling diamonds as stars. Engraved on the nib, a drawing of Sun from the Epitome Astronomiae Copernicanae is enhanced with a single diamond.
A final nod to the genius of Kepler, the bottom of the cone is decorated with a representation of his third planetary law that states that the squares of their orbital periods are proportional to the cubes of the long axes of their orbits.
Johannes Kepler High Artistry Somnium Limited Edition 5
The Limited Edition 5 is a masterpiece of precision stone-setting with hundreds of sapphires set together to capture the scintillating beauty of the “Milky Way”. Each stone has been carefully chosen by colour to create a flawless transition. The edition is also the very first writing instrument in the world equipped with an automatic watch movement inspired by Kepler’s drawings of the moon phases. Montblanc developed this special moon phase complication sitting at the summit of the writing instrument’s cap in the Maison’s manufacture in Villeret in the Swiss Jura. The dual-rotation system allows the Montblanc emblem in precious blue lacquer at the centre to rotate to indicate the functionality of the movement, while the moon phase rotates to indicate the actual moon phase. The dial is made of aventurine, while the bright sides of the four moons pieces are created out of white gold coated in palladium and the darker side are created by flaming treatment.
Johannes Kepler High Artistry Stella Nova Limited Edition 1 / 116253
Johannes Kepler High Artistry Stella Nova Limited Edition 1 is the crown jewel of the collection. It dazzles with all the brilliance of 570 diamonds and 5,294 sapphires beautifully arranged to remind the viewer of our home – the “Milky Way” galaxy. Other cool signatures include a diamond on the nib, another on the compass-style clip and a standout 6.20-carat sparkler on the cap crown. The intricacy of the stone setting mirrors the detailing created by its master-engravers with the forepart of the writing fountain pen decorated with the Ophiuchus constellation from De Stella Nova and the orbit of Mars from Astronomia. Nova featured on the bottom of the cone. The pen comes with its own porcelain stand designed by Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg. The stand is shaped to resemble a seventeenth century scrolled collar that Kepler himself wore. On top of this collar is an open porcelain scroll that features one of Kepler’s planetary drawings.
A pair of matching Stella Nova Limited Edition 1 cufflinks has been specially created in white gold to complement this exceptional writing instrument. Shaped like his platonic model of the solar system, the cufflinks feature Montblanc diamonds of 1,71ct and 1,72 ct, both F/ VVS1, at their centre, while the structure of the model is set with a total of 262 round diamonds, giving these rare pieces added brilliance.
Launch 2017
Limitation:
Fountain Pens 39
Fountain pens 9
Fountain Pens 5
Fountain Pen 1
Limited Edition 39
Limited Edition 5
Limited Edition 1
