Luxury beach resort Story Seychelles has once again been awarded the “Seychelles Leading Green Resort 2021” — this is the fourth time it has taken the title. The island of Seychelles resembles a paradise with its pristine beaches and picturesque scenery.
Making the environment the nexus of what the resort does, Story Seychelles emplores the use of the “5 Pillars in Sustainability” as its guiding principles.
Story Seychelles is on the constant lookout for ways to preserve and protect natural resources by cutting down its wastages and energy consumption. These are complemented with the resort’s consistent and groundbreaking initiatives such as setting up dedicated ecological areas, education and local projects within its compound and outside.
“We communicate with our guests and create awareness of our efforts while encouraging them to join us in the simplest practices to reach our goals. Our Eco-project is based on 5 interconnected pillars. It is impossible to think about nature, wildlife and an Eco-friendly life separately,” Story Seychelles comments in a press release following the announcement of its award.
“These elements are all intertwined, like a group of Hawksbill Sea Turtles swimming through a marine current, if you improve something in your local environment, it will be projected to the rest of the world.”
Image: Story Seychelles
While the resort does its part in being the protector of the environment, it has not lost sight of providing excellent services to its guests. The aim has always been to create memories that will last a lifetime, just like the stories in our own lives.
Inspiring stories are forged at Story Seychelles through its use of bold architecture that melds splendidly with the lush environment. A guest’s experience is further enhanced by the curation of activities available like relishing in the Seychellois culture — its food and art.
Image: Story Seychelles
With 100 rooms comprising villas and suites, a reputed spa and no less than seven different dining venues, each with its own signature ambience and cuisine, Story Seychelles is a rare refuge from the hustle and bustle of modern living.
Guests stand to savour an intoxicatingly fresh approach to tropical living, complete with modern comforts. With international travel slowly picking up, Story Seychelles is a place to be this upcoming holiday season.
For more information or to make a reservation at Story Seychelles, head over to their website here.
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One of Savile Row’s oldest tailors, Gieves & Hawkes, faces a threat of closure after news of its parent company Shandong Ruyi Technology Group reported it is facing a debt crisis.
The 250-year-old establishment has been a prominent figure in its field and counts the British Royal family, Winston Churchill and others as its clients.
Gieves & Hawkes and its sister company Kent & Curwen, are owned by Trinity Limited — a subsidiary of Shandong Ruyi Technology Group, which aspires to be the Chinese version of the world’s largest luxury company, LVMH.
The Times reported that the Chinese conglomerate owes US$4 billion to its creditors after going on a buying spree in 2015. The move was an attempt of building an empire that could rival LVMH but it failed to properly finance its debt. The search is now on and if a rescuer does not step forward, this could mean the end of the historic British brand.
However, even if a rescuer were to be found, the business at Gieves & Hawkes remains to be poor. Demand for formal clothing had already been suffering from a drop even before the Covid-19 pandemic. It is observed that the changing tastes in menswear, spurred on by the proliferation of streetwear, is one of the main causes of this plummet.
The younger generation is more attuned to fashion and the trends coming out from the runways. Leading designers have pushed the narrative towards more casual pieces and it can be seen in fashion brands such as Dior, Ermenegildo Zegna, Louis Vuitton and others. The tailors in Savile Row is the antithesis of the current zeitgeist of dressing down. They are seen to be rigid, too formal and not “fun”.
The move away from these formalised tailors took on an accelerated boost when the pandemic hit. White-collar workers now have the option of working remotely and this means doing away with formal clothes such as shirts and dress pants.
As a result, revenue for Savile Row shops dramatically fell. Compounded by the travel ban, international sales also dropped as with footfall to the shops. Despite the narrow margins that these businesses are getting, rents at Savile Row continue to increase. To help alleviate the situation, landlords have implemented “rent-free” periods as well as the option of monthly rather than quarterly rents. But these are short-term solutions and tailors have to be quick to find other means or they risk shutting down.
The closure of Gieves & Hawkes could lead to a domino effect and other occupants on Savile Row would also throw in the towel. And if that is really the case, it would definitely be a loss for Britain and its culture and traditions. For a long time, it is the dream of many budding menswear designers to cut their teeth at the revered Savile Row, and many before have had that experience. These include Lee Alexander McQueen and Ozwald Boateng.
A bespoke suit at Gieves & Hawkes would set a buyer back around £3,500 while a tailored suit costs upwards of £795. It takes two fittings and approximately ten weeks to make them. Kathryn Sargent, the first female head cutter at Gieves & Hawkes had said in 2010: “Everyone from Churchill to David Beckham has had their suits made here in the past 200 years.”
Should the company fails to be saved, it would definitely be a great pity for the next generation who would not be able to have a chance at owning their own Savile Row-made suit.
Palm Buds Pro features 10mm drivers for powerful sound output with deep bass, six-microphone active noise cancellation, smart touch controls, Bluetooth v5.0, and Google Assistant and Siri ready.
The word “home” evokes different meanings for different people and this multi-faceted concept has undergone a transformation over the past two years. It would be an understatement to say that the pandemic has altered the way we interact with our homes. As we are spending more time in it, creating a conducive environment becomes paramount.
Even before the pandemic Johanna Monange, founder of Maison 21G, had already envisioned a suite of bespoke home fragrances that could not only serve as elegant ornaments but also luxurious scent emitters. Using sustainably sourced ingredients, with no harmful chemicals such as phthalates or CMR, Maison 21G products represent the best of haute perfumery.
At the heart of this line of home scent products is the Half-Moon Dual Candle. A signature of the collection, this beautifully designed home scent object will definitely elevate the aesthetics of any living space. Why is it called “Half-Moon Dual Candle”? That’s because there are two parts to this creation, like two half-moons that can be put together to create a full moon.
Image: Maison 21G
Image: Maison 21G
This is where the ingenuity of the founder comes through. The current market for scented candles is mostly singular scent but Maison 21G has chosen to introduce personalisation. This allows for two different scents to permeate the air — blending and layering to give off an impression of a sensual dance. Johanna describes this commingling as “sensory bliss” and you can enjoy this from the 12 exquisite natural scents available.
If you aren’t ready to commit to the full-sized
Half-Moon Dual Candle, Maison 21G has also the bespoke Mini Candles selection. The inspiration for this collection comes from a famous Parisian pâtisserie house, Ladurée and its eclectic range of macarons. Johanna wants to recreate the pleasant and personalised experience of choosing your favourite sweet treats from Ladureé with Maison 21G products. Thus, customers and pick and choose scents that appeal to them and try them at home.
Image: Maison 21G
Image: Maison 21G
Image: Maison 21G
Image: Maison 21G
Sustainability is a big guiding principle for Maison 21G and the brand is determined to make the world of perfumery greener, cleaner and more eco-conscious. Besides ensuring that ingredients are sourced in accordance with the strictest standards, the health of its users is also important. Another differentiating factor of Maison 21G candles is the exclusion of palm oil and mineral wax.
These harmful materials are typically used in candle making, even for the most esteemed luxury brands in the market. Hence, transparency is another factor that sets Maison 21G products from its competitors — customers can enquire about the ingredient list and Johanna even encourages this culture of transparency.
One of the hallmarks of an excellent brand is innovation, and Maison 21G has never rested on its laurels when it comes to enhancing a customer’s shopping experience. Complementing the bespoke home scent collection, the brand has also debuted its own scent objects: Luciole Oil Burner and Reed Diffuser.
Image: Maison 21G
Luciole Oil Burner. Image: Maison 21G
Reed Diffuser. Image: Maison 21G
Each of the scent objects calls to mind the glamour of Paris that Johanna is fond of. The Luciole is an oil burner made of brass, wood and glass and when used it glows ever so brightly and can elevate the ambience of any room. Lastly, the Reed Diffuser is a mark of true customisation as customers can pick and choose their ideal scent combinations from the brand’s 35 haute couture perfume essences. A truly bespoke experience awaits you at Maison 21G.
For more information about Maison 21G, head over to maison21g.com. You can also visit the Maison 21G Flagship Store at 77 Duxton Road and its boutiques at Marina Bay Sands, L1-32, Central-Orange Zone and Takashimaya #B1-31A.
During the Covid-19 crisis, companies relied more than ever on reliable cloud computing providers as millions of workers were doing their jobs away from the office. No longer could a large company’s staff be concentrated in one building with servers in the basement.
These days, workers are doing vital tasks remotely, and cloud computing keeps them connected and productive. As the professional working world continues to evolve in the ongoing pandemic, several developments in the field are essential to understand.
Edge Computing
As the decentralisation of company servers and information is ongoing, edge computing is becoming more critical. Edge computing puts computing and data storage near where it is created and used, unlike a traditional, centralised cloud.
Processing on the network’s edge means responsiveness is faster, and there’s more bandwidth available for labour-intensive processes.
This year, we expect 5G rollout and artificial intelligence (AI) to result in more edge technology uses; Forrester reports this surge in edge computing could remove up to five points from spending on the public cloud.
It is thought that edge computing and cloud computing will compete with one another and provide real-time computing experiences, which is a plus for all of us involved.
Also, the Internet of Things (IoT) is growing at a blistering pace, and this should speed the adoption of edge computing. IoT products can gather vital data, but they have no room to store or process it. The use of the edge allows these devices to handle data processing locally to offer fast results.
Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning Join The Cloud
Image: Scott Graham/Unsplash
AI and machine learning are critical for many kinds of organisations today. For example, employees can use machine learning as a process to leverage a vast amount of data to a complex algorithm.
When AI gets involved, all types of helpful services are possible, such as vision, speech, translation, and text analytics.
If we leverage machine learning and AI with the cloud, it’s highly reliable and affordable. And don’t be surprised if it improves the efficiency and productivity of your company.
This is a mix of a public and private cloud. The hybrid cloud means applications and data can be more easily combined and shared.
Hybrid clouds are helpful when organisations own more than a single public cloud with deployment onsite. This type of cloud means greater flexibility, and the company can transfer their most sensitive data onto private networks.
It is theorised that using a hybrid cloud is vital to improve productivity and efficiency for many large companies. The hybrid cloud also is a viable option for businesses that want more effective security and data control at a reasonable cost.
Serverless Computing
Image: Ilya Pavlov/Unsplash
Serverless computing was already massive in 2020, but it’s getting more significant this year. Serverless computing means it’s easier to grow Function as a Service or FaaS. So, software developers may devise functions in the public cloud when needed. There is no longer a need to deal with complicated infrastructures to create many processes on multiple clouds.
Technology today is focused on tons of data and is on the lookout for the best way to use it. This is the way things are going in healthcare. There has been an enormous shift to the digitisation of healthcare data.
Going forward, the efficient delivery of healthcare and working effectively with patients will be vital to cloud computing. What remains to be seen is how we can use cloud computing to provide security and privacy to healthcare data.
If there’s anything we know about the cloud, technology will change and move forward if you blink. So, it always pays to keep an eye on how cloud computing evolves so your company can meet new challenges.
Headquartered in Shanghai and Taipei, SKS Capital is a private equity investment firm that has worked with numerous brands across Asia. Founded by Kuei Chen in 2017, the company is constantly on the lookout for burgeoning brands that need that extra help in expanding their operations.
However, Chen has strict guidelines in picking the right brands to invest in. For Chen, it is pertinent that the brands he works with have great storytelling and possess a human aspect so that whatever product or service sold is meaningful.
Can you tell us more about SKS Capital, its heritage, and how have it has evolved from a family office to a General Partner? Also what inspired you to create the company?
To know about SKS Capital, let me share the history of our roots. Since 1960, the family business over the past two generations was beauty packaging. It started with my grandmother who designed the original matte black of MAC cosmetics, which is still the main product line to this day. She designed the colour with the two original Canadian founders before they sold the company to Estee Lauder.
When my father took the helm, he was the first to establish an overseas office to cater to brands like Helena Rubinstein, Guerlain, Estee-Lauder, Shiseido and many more. While my mother, on the eco-side of things, developed the first modern paper lipstick with Mary Kay two decades ago and other brands like Crazylibellule soon followed. We went from producing mass-market cosmetics to designing and setting packaging trends with luxury brands.
As you can see the entrepreneurial gene runs deep in our family, and as time goes by, the products and customers we work with have become more sophisticated and luxurious. We sold our company back in 2012 which let us transition from manufacturing ODM/OEM to family office and then to a full-fledge investment venture company with investments from limited partners.
I think in our generation we are trying to take it to the next level, using our industry knowledge and taking advantage of Asia’s growing consumer sector.
I have the inspiration to invest in Asian-made brands. No longer are we the generation of counterfeits. Brands are beginning to find their own DNA and being able to identify local consumers with increasing purchasing power. SKS would like to be at the forefront of venture capital (VC) that invests in luxury brands and assists them in transitioning from mass-market identity to prestige.
What advantages does SKS have entering this industry?
Image: SKS Capital
When I look at the VC scene in Greater China, I generally feel a big disconnect between investors and the consumer brands they invest in. I feel the brands lack proper representation of investors that align with their values and understand what the founders are trying to accomplish, whether it’s sustainability, unique product differentiation, or entering new foreign markets. Aside from just capital, most private equity or venture capital firms in Greater China or APAC often fall short of that. Being a millennial myself we share the same core values with the brands that are emerging in the spotlight.
I feel there is ample opportunity out here, I can really relate to the founders and agree with the company messages since we are from the same generation and on the same mission to solve problems that are handed down to us from previous generations. I feel many funds in Asia (with a few exceptions) are generalist or add very little value to companies and the whole consumer ecosystem.
To understand the consumer industry, it comes down to fundamentally understanding people. While most brands are catered to consumers of my generation and Gen-Z, and to put it bluntly, most venture funds in Asia are run by 60-year-olds trying to invest in brands for the 20-year-olds. Using an analogy, it feels like when we were growing up our parents were trying to dress us in the clothes they thought were “cool”.
In short, what I’m trying to say is, my inspiration for creating SKS is that I think it is our time; we are finally of age to invest in the brands we grew up with, that identify with us, and that represent us.
What trends and opportunities do you see in the Greater China market? And what has changed over the last few years?
China’s beauty consumption is huge. It’s a 79-billion-dollar industry, and market reports indicate the market will double by 2025. The beauty market grew by 29.9 per cent during the first half of 2021, and millennials and Gen-Z accounted for 69 per cent of that growth. We are definitely investing in the right market.
In the next five years, we will start to see a consolidation within the industry, from the increasing complexity of the local market, fast product life cycles, and brands adapting to consumer behavioural changes. All this is exciting news to us venture capitalists and Corporate Venture Capitalists (CVCs).
We began to see VC dollars pouring into the consumer sector. I don’t think investors or founders have gotten the formula right, to succeed and become a household brand. For investors, it’s a race to see whoever can spot the right brands and bring the right value-add. We would like to be at the forefront of that train wagon, through our experience, distribution network, and strategic limited partner that invests in us, we are able to assist promising brands and elevate them to another level of growth.
The beauty market in China looks very promising, but there is its downside and complexity. Can you explain what challenges you think the beauty brands are facing in Asia?
Image: SKS Capital
According to Mandy Li, founder of HBG a leading branding consultant agency, “the average life expectancy for beauty brands is 4-6 years.” I think that is the challenge, investing in growing brands and seeing them disappear in a few years. Another interesting piece of fact is that among the top 20 beauty conglomerates in the world, none are from China or Southeast Asia.
I think the trend now is the rise of domestic brands and its vertical integration. To be able to escape the herd and emerge as a winner, it will eventually come down to three key differentiating factors:
Product quality and brand consistency
Ability to penetrate foreign markets to increase brand life value and
Having the right financial backers to support a team of ambitious and talented new generation of founders
We think we will see that happening in the next 5-10 years. To come back to your question, I think the challenge we are facing is convincing local brands to go overseas and not just looking at the domestic market. History proves that local brands life expectancy is usually 4-6 years but if you want to increase your brand life value you need to have a global presence.
This is where SKS comes to play. With years of experience serving global luxury brands and having an understanding and network of overseas distribution like Korea, USA, Greater China and Europe, we like to work with founders to develop a long-term strategy for international growth by upgrading their packaging and formulation. For example, it is easy to add fragrance to your skincare, but what does that smell symbolise? Does the fragrance provide a unique feeling, or a sense of warmth, the sense of smell is more than just sweet or dry?
Having a unique positioning creates a stronger brand image and increases premiumisation needed to foster international growth. When we look at domestic brands in China, our angle is a little bit different from our VC competitors. Not only do we look at brands that scale quickly in China, but we also ask ourselves could this brand work overseas.
Aside from beauty, what other sectors do you look at? Is there one particular investment that stands out?
I moved to Taiwan in 2013. I remember being introduced to a chain called 八方云集 “8 Way” — which is a pot-stickers and dumplings QSR (quick-service restaurant) chain. It was great comfort food that I have on a monthly basis.
We were lucky enough to meet the founding family members. They were from humble beginnings, and they shared very similar values with SKS. We really loved their franchise model that even being big they had strong community values. The founder provided many opportunities for employees to become small business owners themselves by reducing the franchise setup cost to only US$3,000.
If you don’t have the money, it’s okay, 8 Way corporate has a loan program that can help finance new store locations as long as you have working experience in 8 Way, so that way you understand the culture. 8 Way only increased their food procurement cost once in the past 18 years. I remember the founder said, “for a franchise to work, you’ve got to think of ways to make the franchisee earn money”.
One of our partners’ mothers ran a popular beef noodle restaurant in Suzhou, China, that was a big hit with the locals. She never had plans to expand but being a local favourite, it had to be of quality. The founder of 8 Way decided to use her recipe in one of their 100 fast-food chains called “梁社汉” or “Liang Shi Han” because the recipe included the unique spices and slow-braised beef which creates a multi-layer of thickness and taste to the soup. It provides an additional luxury touch to their menu.
When we heard this, everyone in the office was so touched and this would’ve never happened if we didn’t know the founder on a personal level and shared the same passion for food. I think my partner’s mother felt really honoured to have her recipe finally passed down and shared with more people who can enjoy it. It was a win for both of us. A rare value-add creation from SKS by providing recipes towards Liang Shi Han’s brand. In doing so SKS and 8 Way really cultivated a deeper relationship when we worked together. I don’t think many VCs can share stories like this one.
When you are evaluating brands ranging from wellness to beauty and food franchises, what are some qualities you look out for?
Understanding the founder’s value and mission statement is a significant first step. We usually see if their message is consistent throughout their product, digital campaign and if their team shares the same virtues. Then comes the products; we dig a little deeper by understanding how the product fits the market, who is the brand targetting, and how are they targetting? How is the product different from what’s out there? Is the product that the brand is offering necessary? Why would they buy from this brand? Does the product have a back story that resonates with their customers and ultimately fits into the company’s theme?
Because we are in the business of investing in people. Due to these two main factors, we can judge how good the founder is and how truly passionate they are about their business. It’s envigorating if the business has a synched message and a really cool product that we would want to buy ourselves.
Before you invest in a company, it is important to establish trust with the founder. How do you then build trust with them?
Image: SKS Capital
It’s tricky when you are meeting the founders for the first time. I have had meetings where the financial advisors told me not to even talk about their business in our first meetings. The first meeting is for founders to evaluate the investors to see if they can relate, have the same interest and values.
But most meetings come down to this: on the one hand, you have to show that you are an expert in your area, someone with a vast network and can provide value; but on the other hand, you are meeting the founder for the first time, and you don’t know their business like the way they do. So I think you should be all ears and come in with a curious attitude and try to really understand where they are coming from and the reason behind their action each step of the way.
The first part is easy, but winning trust can’t be done through presenting numbers. I think one has to be humble, because we are coming in as an outsider to their business which was built with blood, sweat, and tears. I usually try to relate with my family experience because our family is filled with entrepreneurs.
We know how precious it is in the minds of founders. Through our interaction, they can feel our commitment to building a long-lasting brand and our passion for their company. This helps to skip the surface-level protocols and get into the meaningful and personal goals really fast, and by the end of the meeting, we end up getting to know them at a more personal level than when we started.
What is your favourite part of managing SKS Capital?
Talking about branding, whether the brand has years of history and trying to reinvent themselves or a KOL wanting to co-work with us to launch a new product. It’s always fascinating talking to them because it’s where real genuine conversation happens. They don’t look to us for funding but really try to exchange ideas and to see what can work and what can’t. The numerous rounds of engaging with the many founders on their vision have helped us really understand the consumers from a different angle, not just the VC angle.
We have all sorts of people coming in, from KOLs who want creative packaging solutions, online beauty enablers and distributors discussing the future trend of brands, to second generations coming back home to take over their family’s helm and wanting to reposition the brand while not losing its heritage. I think all of it is exciting. We call on everyone in the company at SKS to listen and exchange notes with the founders to see where we can help out.
What are some social responsibility issues SKS is solving through the investments it makes?
Sustainability. During previous generations, everyone was focused on accelerating the speed of industrialisation, but it came at a great cost. Sustainability is about the brand and personal values, it’s an attitude and that is beyond just capability and finance.
Pan Farm is one of our investments that deal with sustainability in an effective and direct way. This agricultural firm focuses on an innovation technique called Plant Breeding by producing high-quality and high-yield seeds that display pest and disease resistance without harming the environment. Plant Breeding creates and transfers different plant varieties, which also makes the plants more resilient to climate change. This solution in turn enables farmers to increase the productivity of their harvests.
A lot of people ask us why we continue to invest in what I call “manufacturing solutions,” it’s because I feel that the manufacturing industry has transformed. Not in a way where we produce faster at reduced costs. It’s more about solving the problems that brands are facing. When we learn more about the brands and their mission statement, we try to design and manufacture in a way that supports their message.
For a clean beauty brand, we figure out how we can use ocean waste plastic in their cosmetic packaging, how do we design a bottle that reduces chemical wastage by eliminating the hot stamping process that requires foil? We need to figure it all while maintaining a cost-sustainable solution to the brands, and SKS is interested in investing in manufacturing companies that tackle these kinds of problems.
For more information about SKS Capital, visit its website: skscapital.co Should you wish to contact Mr Kuei Chan, you can email to this address: kuei.chen@sksventures.co
When A. Lange & Söhne delivers a new watch, there is an expectation that it will be special, and the A. Lange & Söhne Zeitwerk Honeygold Lumen is precisely that. When the watch was announced, the Zeitwerk Luminous already existed so it seemed that this new Honeygold variant was a mere novelty.
There is nothing wrong with that, of course, but the first clue that something is amiss here is that the last time there was a Lumen Zeitwerk — called Luminous then — was 2010. And then there is Honeygold, A. Lange & Söhne’s proprietary precious metal alloy, which the brand does not use for just any old watch. Peeking out from beneath the tinted sapphire crystal dial is part of what makes the Zeitwerk Honeygold Lumen truly special — the all-new manual-winding calibre L043.9.
It is just like A. Lange & Söhne to introduce a new movement in a watch that looks for all the world just like the 2010 Zeitwerk Luminous. Of course, A. Lange & Söhne did not introduce calibre L043.9 on a whim, and it is indeed much improved over that 2010 version. Fittingly, the entire watch has received substantial if subtle updates.
The power reserve has doubled to 72 hours; there is a constant force mechanism in the picture; there is a push piece at 4 o’clock to set the hours independently; the time bridge has been tweaked; and even the fonts for the numerals are a little different. That last bit is not something we noticed ourselves, but is in fact an assumption carried over from the most recent update to the Zeitwerk collection in the form of the Zeitwerk Date in 2019.
Image: A. Lange & Söhne
To backtrack a little, the Lumen part of the Zeitwerk Lumen’s name tells you that the instantaneously jumping hours and minutes are all treated to generous amounts of luminous material. The tinted sapphire crystal allows UV light to charge up the aforementioned coating, and is functionally important here. This is because the three discs that display the numerals do not spend a lot of time in direct light, and thus there is a risk of the luminosity displaying unevenly or indeed not at all without some way for the discs to be charged up with light.
From what we know of these types of Lumen displays, the effect beneath the sapphire crystal is actually more muted than what you see in the images here. For a better reference, check out the video A. Lange & Söhne did for this timepiece with Product Development Director Anthony de Haas deploying his trademark humour while demonstrating various salient points about the watch.
As far as standard specifications go, the movement has 462 parts, the case is 41.9mm, the watch is limited to 200 pieces, and Honeygold is basically 18-carat gold that is a little harder and warmer (to the eye) than plain vanilla 18-carat gold. We look forward to discovering this watch in person.
Montblanc has launched the Great Characters Enzo Ferrari Edition, which pays tribute to the life and legacy of Enzo Ferrari.
Enzo was a racing driver who would become an entrepreneur and founder of the Scuderia Ferrari, which eventually evolved into the Ferrari automobile company that we all know today.
Montblanc and Ferrari both share the same ethos which is the passion for craftsmanship and innovation. With that passion, Montblanc created three different writing instrument editions that tell the story of Enzo’s life and work.
Ferrari racing cars are more decorated than any other marque, having participated in every Formula One World Championship since its inception. To date, its Scuderia Ferrari team is also the most successful team in the Formula One racing competition.
Great Characters Enzo Ferrari Special Edition
Image: Montblanc
The design details of the special edition writing instruments evoke the achievements and character of Enzo Ferrari. The colour of the precious resin of the cap and barrel is inspired by the Ferrari’s signature red called the “Rosso 70 Anni”. The cone is engraved with two dates, one of which is the birth of Enzo Ferrari, and the other, his first victory on a race track.
The Montblanc emblem at the top of the pen in yellow resin represents the colour of the city of Modena. Finally, the ring on the cap features an engraving saying “OFFICINA MECCANICA ALFREDO FERRARI”, a reference to Enzo Ferrari’s father’s workshop and birthplace.
Great Characters Enzo Ferrari Limited Edition 1898
Image: Montblanc
1898 not only marks the year of Enzo Ferrari’s birth but also represents the number of pieces the
Great Characters Enzo Ferrari Limited Edition 1898 pen has in stock. The pen features a cap and barrel made from metal that is inspired by the surface of the original Ferrari 125 S engine. The cone also has dates engraved on it. And it references the production of Enzo Ferrari’s first car at his Maranello factory, as well as the date of the first-ever victory for a Ferrari-branded car.
As a testament to the importance of Maranello, the ring on the cap top is embossed with the address of the factory. The nib is made of 18-carat solid gold and is also rhodium-coated. The pen is embellished with a Ferrari 250 GTO wheel, one of the most famous Ferrari cars, as well as the word “Commentadore” — a nickname for Enzo Ferrari.
Great Characters Enzo Ferrari Limited Edition 98
In paying homage to Cavallino Rampante, this edition is limited to 98 pieces. The Prancing Horse was bestowed as a personal emblem to Enzo Ferrari 98 years ago. The cap and barrel for this instrument are airbrush-lacquered by hand in the official racing colour of “Rosso Corsa” — a shade of red that international motor racing teams from Italy common used.
The cap is decorated with the number 29 to represent the year Scuderia Ferrari was founded, as well as an engraving with the words, “I am one who dreamt to be Enzo Ferrari” in Italian.
The shape of early Ferrari racing cars is reflected in the dynamic design of the clip. It is also decorated with Enzo Ferrari’s motto “You cannot describe passion, you can only live it”. The base of the clip is lacquered in the same “Rosso Corsa” red shade. Around the base are six lines to each side that represent a Ferrari V12 engine.
With this new edition, Montblanc celebrates the unrelenting passion that drove Enzo Ferrari to create one of the greatest brands in the world associated with prestige and victory.
The Montblanc Great Characters Enzo Ferrari Edition is available from November at Montblanc boutiques worldwide and online. For more information, visit Montblanc’s website here.
