High Artistry A Journey through Château de Versailles Limited Edition 479

With the A Journey through Château de Versailles Collection Montblanc takes a tour through this baroque masterpiece in celebration of the Versailles world heritage site. The Limited Edition 479 honours in particular its splendid interior and the sumptuous private royal chambers. Louis XIV liked to retire to his private apartments to enjoy the view of the central marble courtyard. Under Louis XV, these apartments were remodelled and the magnificent King’s Corner Room was created, now famous for some of the most exquisite rocaille works in the palace. In keeping with the monarch’s exquisite taste, white stucco contrasts with flamboyant gilding and rocaille to quite magical effect in the sparkling light from the crystal chandeliers. White and gold – this regal colour scheme has also found its way into the Limited Edition 479: white translucent lacquer contrasts beautifully with the solid Au 750 yellow gold, partly platinum-coated fittings. The expertly executed fine guilloche pattern underneath the lacquer on the cap and barrel echoes beautifully the chamber’s rocaille ornaments. The leading cabinetmakers in France created highly elegant furniture for the prestigious interior, each piece artfully embellished with gilding and inlays of mother-of-pearl, polychrome marble and precious stones from all corners of the globe. As pieces created for the Versailles estate, the furnishings bear the letters ‘VV’ – as does the handcrafted solid Au 750 yellow gold nib. It is adorned with a fine engraving of precisely the same mark, together with the royal crown. In honour of the ‘Sun King’, as the monarch has subsequently been referred to, the image of the sun is encountered throughout the palace in numerous representations and allegorical allusions to the ancient Greek god. The sun also takes centre stage on the Limited Edition 479. A work of masterful craftsmanship, the clip ends in an elaborate depiction of Apollo’s head encircled by the rays of the sun and set in a solid Au 750 yellow gold plate. The cap top is crowned with the Montblanc emblem in lustrous mother-of-pearl, embedded in solid Au 750 yellow gold.Since secrecy was a central element of power at court, the Sun King used special encryption systems of letters and numbers known as the ‘Grand Chiffre’ and ‘Petit Chiffre’. They preserved the confidentiality of his military and diplomatic communications and simultaneously conjured up an aura of exclusivity and mystery. According to this system, the number 479, the limitation of this edition, stood for no less than the king himself: ‘Le Roy’.