STYLUS
POCKET
ROCKET
MONTEGRAPPA, THE ITALIAN MAKER OF
LUXURY PENS, HAS JOINED FORCES WITH
NASA TO RECREATE THE APOLLO 11 CRAFT
IN MINIATURE–FOR THE POCKET.
As preparations for the fiftieth anniversary of
that famed July 20, 1969, moon landing enter their
final phase, Montegrappa has released the Moon
Landing LE.
Shaped like the Saturn V rocket that propelled
Apollo 11’s crew to the moon, the new writing
instrument uses visual references to show lineage
with one of modern history’s most momentous
achievements.
The new pen is an executive toy par excellence.
It allows the user to simulate the separation
of flight modules to reveal ink flux controls,
observed through a special internal window.
When not in use, the Moon Landing LE rests in a
diorama presentation case recreating the lunar
landing site. “We came in peace for all mankind”
reads its miniature plaque.
As the latest addition to Montegrappa’s
limited edition Cult Series, the Moon Landing
LE marks a further example of the maker’s ‘pen
complications,’ which first debuted in 2015.
Montegrappa CEO and Creative Director
Giuseppe Aquila has had a lifelong fascination
with mechanical precision. He has piloted
his family’s company beyond the traditional
boundaries of penmaking. In recent years,
Montegrappa has offered a series of limited-
edition designs aimed at breaking new ground
in a category it has championed for more than a
century.
“Ideas that communicate joy and unexpected
functionality help us draw attention to
the creative elements of engineering and
craftsmanship,” Aquila explains. “Pens are, in
many ways, a timeless technology, but we must
continually remind the market that they are tools
of imagination, and keep them moving forward to
be in sync with contemporary tastes.”
Montegrappa’s Moon Landing LE is available in
only 363 fountain pens and 110 rollerballs. Look
for classic pearlized white resin and sterling silver
models and a line in titanium and 18-karat gold.
Prices begin at $7,100 (rollerball, silver and resin)
to $47, 400 (fountain pen, titanium and gold).
124 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SPRING 2019
Montegrappa
salutes Apollo
11 on its fiftieth
anniversary