Montblanc was founded in Hamburg, Germany, in 1906 by Alfred Nehemias, August Eberstein, and Claus Voss. The three men laid the foundations for a company that would manufacture the newly invented non-leaking fountain pen. After three years of development, they revolutionized the culture of writing with the launch of their first fountain pen series, the Rouge et Noir.
In 1910 the company started using the name Montblanc, inspired by the highest mountain in Europe and symbolizing their pursuit of excellence. The six-point star, representing the six snow-covered glaciers of the Montblanc mountain, was introduced and is still today featured on all of their writing instruments. By 1924 they were already selling their fountain pens in over 60 countries.
Montblanc Montre S.A. was founded in 1997 in the heart of the Swiss watchmaking region Le Locle. Their first watch collection launched under the name Meisterstck. In 1998 Montblanc is acquired by the Richemont group, one of the world's largest luxury conglomerates. Over the years, they branch out into eyewear, fragrances, jewelry, and leather goods.
Richemont bought Minerva, a small manufacture famous for its handmade movements, in 2006. By 2007 Montblanc further enhances its watchmaking expertise by creating the Institut Minerva de Recherche en Haute Horlogerie at Villeret, Switzerland. With the establishment of the Montblanc Manufacture in Villeret, their watchmaking expertise becomes older than their writing instrument history.