Montblanc for UNICEF Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum timepiece (£5,100)
It’s all too easy to take literacy for granted, especially if for some reason you thought a career in writing was a good idea. Dubious life decisions aside, it is true that it’s all too easy to forget that for some children out there reading and writing are anything but a given.
In the UK it’s a travesty that 1 in 6 children find it difficult to read. Now imagine what things would be like in a country where the inverse it true. On a global scale 1 in 11 children are denied the right to education – around 59 million around the world.
How can anyone expect these kids to have a good start in life without those basic skills? You might not write for a living but imagine not being able to read basic documents – or this article. Not exactly life-changing but something that is beyond those nearly 60-million children.
It’s UNICEF’s self-appointed mandate to combat that disturbingly high figure but despite a few high-profile advocates they’re still struggling to make a dent. It’s such an international, wide-spread issue that even millions are a drop in the ocean.
The Montblanc for UNICEF Collection is inspired by the Rosetta stone
Still, it’s good to see a brand really getting involved in UNICEF’s work, even if they do have a vested interest in seeing them succeed. After all, if nobody could read or write what use would be a Montblanc Meisterstuck?
This isn’t the first time Montblanc has worked with UNICEF; over the past 13 years they’ve raised over $10 million for the charity. This time though they’ve taken it to the next stage and brought to bear the full Montblanc arsenal of watches, pens and accessories.
The Montblanc for UNICEF Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum will be available in three versions: Latin, Asian and Arabic
As this is Oracle Time we’ll start with the watch. UNICEF is an enterprise of global scale so what better watch than the Orbis Terrarum to represent them to the horologically-inclined? It also happens to be one of our favourite pieces from the Villeret atelier, though we’d have to opt for the English rather than Chinese edition. I may be at least semi-literate but a second language is one life skill too far.
Montblanc Meisterstück Selection UNICEF Slim Document Case (£800)
Montblanc Meisterstück Selection UNICEF Backpack (£670)
The leather goods both large and small are classic Montblanc but with a few subtle differences. Using both printed and plain black leather gives the various pieces a uniquely tactile look, one that will undoubtedly spread to the rest of the Meisterstuck leather collection. The nicest touch though is on the inside; the jacquard lining incorporates the first characters children learn in six different languages.
Montblanc UNICEF 2017 Fine Stationery Notebook #146 Blue (£60)
There are even a few pieces of jewellery in the line-up with bracelet and cufflinks both showing their colours with UNICEF’s signature blue, a subtle allusion to the charity. But they’re not the main event. Given that the whole pursuit is in the aid of literacy, that honour was always going to go to the pens.
Montblanc for UNICEF Platinum Plated 3D Skeleton Fountain Pen (£7,600)
Montblanc’s iconis Meisterstuck has been subtle altered for UNICEF in four different models, ranging from the subtle to the striking. The platinum-coated version of the LeGrand for example uses the first characters of Latin, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Hindi scripts around the cap, a small but thoughtful touch. The 149 Solitaire Skeleton on the other hand uses those same characters like a cage around the transparent elements.
Montblanc Meisterstück UNICEF Solitaire Le Grand Fountain Pen (£1,285)
Our favourite of the collection combines elements of the two. The Solitaire is draped in lacquer of UNICEF blue and inscribed with characters inspired by the Rosetta Stone nestled in our very own British Museum. What can we say? It’s absolutely stunning; we’d want it even without the charitable angle.
$10 million is a huge amount of money, especially for a charity like UNICEF. If Montblanc keeps upping their partnership quite like this though, it’ll be a good deal less than 13 years before they hit 20.
