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A new Limited Edition commemorates the spirit of exploration that gripped Europe from the 15th to 18th centuries – and the handheld technology that made it possible. Age of Discovery is ready to set sail to markets around the world from the end of November, 2021.
Age of Discovery is made in limited editions of 250 fountain pens and 250 rollerballs, referencing 500 years since the death of the explorer, Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521), and his armada’s first circumnavigation of the earth in 1522. A vintage mahogany/antique brass body shows obvious allusions to a golden age, but concealed mechanical complications make this a classic with a modern twist.
Navigational aids provide the central design elements: a vintage telescope inspires the body, and a sextant provides the clip. Inside the finial is a miniature magnetic compass – a custom complication developed with Politecnico di Milano. Sapphire glass at each end simulates a lens (with hinged cap) and eyepiece to reinforce the novelty of its telescopic form.
Custom packaging is an antique, brass-reinforced instrument chest with a plaque inlay memorialising the Magellan Expedition.
The silhouette of the Spanish ship Victoria is realised in low relief inside the barrel-end eyepiece, while her historic route around the world is deep-laser-engraved into the lower barrel. Elsewhere, brass is elaborated with perforation, knurling, threading and other ornamentations, while the Montegrappa logo is engraved into the base of the mahogany cap. This particular brass has a timbre that ages extraordinarily well, becoming shinier and more nuanced with sustained
The concealed functionality of Age of Discovery makes it a discovery in its own right. The integrated compass and Power-Push filling system are essential talking points, and they extend our leadership in mechanical complications established by designs like Q1 (2015), Revolver (2018) and Moon Landing (2019).
Age of Discovery is available to ship in December before Christmas, 2021.
