Montblanc 149 75Th Anniversary Limited Edition 1924

[asota]

Today i finally received one of my all time grail pens. whilst my main focus is the WE editions i could not pass up the chance to buy this 149 as i had always wanted one from the first time i laid eyes on it in a post on FPN back in 2010.

 

This is therefore my review of the Montblanc 149 75th Anniversary Limited Edition 1924.

 

http://i.imgur.com/ZBwUnrz.jpg

 

Whilst in reality it is just a modified 149, it isn't in fact just a modified 149. The rose gold trim is markedly..well rose.... unlike the current 90th Anniversary edition that is somewhere in between this one and a regular yellow gold 149 this has a confident and defined red hue.

 

http://i.imgur.com/1LvcnTD.jpg

 

In my opinion what makes this pen the most sought after (non-skeleton) 149 is the sheer beauty of the nib. it is by far my favourite MB nib in terms of design and exudes a certain elegance that leaves you staring at it for longer than you realise! it is truly mesmerising.

 

http://i.imgur.com/whm0JCE.jpg

 

it goes without saying that a nib like this writes like a regular 149 M Nib.

 

The cap is the other aspect that draws you to this pen. i must first confess that i am very biased towards MoP stars, i think that all limited editions should carry them but i also respect that it wouldn't suit some of the WE pens (somehow i doubt a Defoe, Swift or Kafka could pull it off). My Copernicus has a large MoP star but somehow think that the Rose Gold trim and the MoP star make this pen something very special.

 

http://i.imgur.com/9v9HPgW.jpg

 

the Cap has a band above the clip with "75 Years of Passion and Soul" inscribed on it. a further design touch is the small diamond on the "O" of passion

 

http://i.imgur.com/wFYKpPO.jpg

 

to conclude whilst this pen is a 149 and therefore has all of the much reviewed features of an ordinary MB 149, it is anything but an ordinary 149 in every aspect. For me, there are few pens which surpass the sense of occasion that comes with sitting at your desk and reaching for your 149; this pen is extra special though. You immediately feel, like the Hemingway for example, that this pen has something more, something extra, something truly special. a sense of pedigree and of unadulterated class and sophistication.

 

Its a shame that what this pen also highlights is the over commercialisation of MB. This pen was released in 1999, the same year as the Proust and post dates pens such as the Medici, Hemingway Agatha etc. For me these are the best of the modern era pens. compare this 149 to the current 90th 149 (working on review next ) the new 90th 149 has no soul, no passion (see what i did there ) no extra details to denote the sense of occasion or anniversary; heck the rose gold aint even that rosy!

 

this pen was made to mark an important occasion and it does just that and more. it makes every day an occasion and it now takes pride of place in my ever expanding collection!

 

 

...love the rose-gold nib (plating durability question notwithstanding) but really cannot stand the ghastly gold accents on the cap and trim. Platinum Meisterstucks are just as loud. I have small hands and use my regular 1980s MB 146s daily - again, I can't stand the loud gold accents and tend to keep them out of view until needed, especially with the way Mont Blanc is marketed these days. "Luxury" brand indeed.

 

My grail pen would be a 'sotto voce' MB 146 with accents from a less garish precious metal and the fabulous rose-gold nib found on the 75th Anniversary Limited Edition 1924.

 

Yup, I know - it will never happen as the vast majority of MB's market loves things as they are. Showy is in.

[Davies677]

Too bad these are not available anywhere anymore, such a magnificent pen, my dream pen. One day I hope I have the luck of running by an auction with this amazing pen.