A Closer Look at the $198,000 Montblanc Limited Edition Boheme Papillon
It takes one to know one and if you’re a dyed in the wool pen enthusiast then you can easily appreciate the Montblanc Limited Edition Boheme Papillon, even at a price tag of $198,000. This is perhaps one of the most extravagant luxury pens on the market today, but at the cost, there aren’t that many who have availed themselves of the privilege of ownership. This is a model that was created for a specific audience of those with a passion for collecting expensive luxury writing instruments. Montblanc has earned a reputation for producing them, but only within limited editions, so they maintain their exclusivity. In order to fully appreciate this ultra expensive pen, we’re compelled to take a much closer look at the attributes which drive its value and make it worth a small fortune to some.
Description
The first aspect of the nearly $200,000 pen that we explore are the aesthetics. This is by far one of the most complex and ornate examples we’ve seen in fine luxury writing instruments. The appearance is absolutely breathtaking with cascading abundance of precious stones. There are six variants within the limited edition and each presents its own theme and color story, all encrusted with precious stones and premium precious metals. The Boheme Paillon is also known as the Bohemian Butterfly featuring 1400 gemstones.
What makes them unique
The Montblanc brand is distinguished by the patented diamond sparkles resting atop of the pen cap, in the shape of a star. They are genuine diamonds. The Limited Edition Boheme Papillon pens are the most exquisite collectibles in the Montblanc line of fountain pens. The barrels of the pens are skeletonized to give them a unique appearance but this was not enough for the design artists. A part of the uniqueness is in the manner in which the stones are aligned to create butterfly shapes which are delicate and they wrap around the body of the pen in three levels, also extending to the mechanism for the internal spring. It’s as though they are holding the important components in their place, although this isn’t the case, it’s a nice effect. The details of the placement of the stones is intricate with Keatsian plant tendrils also cascading over the body of the pen as well as throughout the cap. It’s obvious that much careful thought and planning went into the creation of the blueprints for the magnificent design architecture.
What makes the Montblanc Limited Edition Boheme Papillon so valuable
These highly collectible fountain pens come in your choice of six variations. Each is painstakingly handcrafted by the hands of skilled craftsmen who ensure the highest of quality in their workmanship for precision in the quality of performance from these writing instruments as well as in the flawless presentation of the intended designs for each. The pens are made from premium precious metals including solid white gold, yellow gold or rose gold. The stones which number more than 1,400 for each pen consist of sapphires and top Wesselton quality diamonds, according to LuxuryInsider. It is difficult to find such a combination of valuable precious metals along with exquisite diamonds and sapphires as seen in the Montblanc Limited edition Boheme Papillon.
To further break down the elements of the pens in this collection, the retractable gold nib is made of 18-carat gold. The three which are offered in a solid white, yellow and rose gold, feature diamonds as their principle stone in the amount of 7.21 carats, with the addition of .21 carats of sapphires. The other three examples are studded with 4.35 carats of flawless diamonds numbering 840, and 3.87 carats of sapphires totally 591 of the secondary stone in the color scheme.
Form and function
Perhaps among this collection’s most striking point of appeal, once you can pull your gaze away from their intense beauty, is the fact that they are created for the purpose of writing. Yes, they’re breathtaking to observe, but these are also fully functional ink pens made to be used as writing instruments. These fascinating fountain pens were created for collectors and pen enthusiasts who can appreciate exceptional quality. You could keep this pen in a display case to admire and show off to visitors, but it’s really made to be used. This pen is every bit as valued as a work of art as an admired painting or sculpture because it embodies the principles of form, function and high aesthetic properties.
Final thoughts
Montblanc has been in existence for more than a hundred years, designing and producing some of the most magnificent and unique luxury pens on the market today. Not all of the writing instruments that they manufacture come with such high price tags, but none others have quite reached the levels of the Montblanc Boheme Papillon. This highly collectible pen isn’t something that you can find anywhere and there are not that many of them available on the market, although if you want one badly enough, you’ll be able to find one at auction or perhaps through the Montblanc company or an authorized vendor. We did see one example that was being offered for as high as $260,000, so in some cases, the value increases with the scarcity. For this reason, we recommend that if you find one of these collectibles for the suggested retail price, you scoop it up. Even if you’re not a pen enthusiast, they’re as good of an investment as purchasing rare or exclusive art. It’s always a pleasure to review high-quality luxury collectibles and to discover that there is often much more explanation needed to expose the elements which build both monetary value in such items as well as the sense of satisfaction that pen lovers feel when they have one of these in their hands.