Founded in 1906 by three men from very different professional backgrounds, the Montblanc luxury brand has continued to diversify ever since, branching out from the world of luxury writing instruments -- its first specialty -- to make watches, leather goods, fragrance, jewelry and men's accessories. This year sees the brand celebrate its 110th anniversary with several special limited-edition collections. Here's a look back at some of the key dates in the history of Montblanc.
1906: The foundations of what would become the Montblanc company were laid by three men, banker Alfred Nehemias, engineer August Eberstein and stationery trader Claus Voss. The trio came together to found a firm to make a fountain pen with its own ink tank and which didn't leak.
1910: One year after the company released its first Safety Pen, with a series called "Rouge et Noir," the firm changed its name to "Montblanc," evoking Europe's highest mountain peak. The company's famous logo soon followed, with a black circular background featuring a white star with six rounded points, symbolizing the mountain's snow-covered peaks.
1919: Montblanc opened its first store in Hamburg, Germany. A network of national stores soon followed, including one in Berlin, before spreading to other countries a few years later.
1924: The firm launched the "Meisterstück" fountain pen, now a legend in the world of luxury writing instruments.
1935: Almost nine years after introducing a range of small Saffiano leather goods, Montblanc opened its first leather workshop in Offenbach, Germany.
1996: The brand diversified again with the "Meisterstück Jewellery Collection" for men. Two years earlier, Montblanc caused a sensation with the "Meisterstück Solitaire Royal," a luxury pen hand-set with 4,810 diamonds.
1997: Montblanc Montre S.A. was established in Switzerland to craft high-end timepieces under the Montblanc name. The "Meisterstück" watch line was unveiled at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) watch industry trade fair in Geneva.
2001: The German brand launched its first fragrance and eyewear collections. Two years later, the "StarWalker" landed -- known today as one of Montblanc's most iconic lines of writing instruments -- along with the "Timewalker" watch collection.
2005: Montblanc created its first solid silver high jewelry collection with "Diva," a limited-edition women's jewelry range.
2011: The Montblanc "Tourbillon Bi-Cylindrique" watch with the MB65.63 caliber becomes the world's first wristwatch to feature a tourbillon with two cylindrical balance springs.
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