By Radhika Agrawal

In a fast-paced world where trends come and go, few brands have stood the test of time like Montblanc. With a storied history spanning over a century, the renowned luxury brand has become synonymous with sophistication and fine European craftsmanship. The brand entered India in the late 1990s and has seen immense growth since then. We sat down with Montblanc India’s Managing Director and CEO, Neeraj Walia, to find out more about the brand’s plans for the Indian market.

How has the first quarter of 2023 been for Montblanc India?

The first quarter is always full of excitement as we begin the year with the launch of our new collections. In the last week of March, we unveiled our new collections of watches at Watches and Wonders. As part of our new collection, we launched the second edition of ‘Around the World in 80 Days’, a writing instrument collection centred around protagonist Phileas Fogg’s journey in India.

Additionally, after the successful completion of 30 years of the ‘Patrons of Art’ series, we launched a new series ‘Masters of Art’ as the maison shifted its focus from the patrons of art to the masters themselves. This series of limited editions is dedicated to a variety of visual artists, whose work encompasses a broad range of disciplines—from painting and sculpture to design and architecture. The Montblanc Masters of Art collection’s first edition pays tribute to Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, one of the most popular painters of the late 19th century, with visionary ideas now seen as precursors to modernism.

The ‘Iced Sea’ collection, launched last year as our first-ever sports diving watch, saw an addition of a beautiful grey dial this year. This new grey glacier pattern dial was inspired by the ice of one of the Mont-Blanc mountain’s largest glaciers—the Mer de Glace or ‘Sea of Ice’. In certain light, the glacial ice appears grey as it reveals the mineral deposits that have been captured in its structure for millennia.

We also introduced a new series of the 8000 collection as a tribute to all the summits with height over 8000m above sea level.

Could you delve deeper into the vision behind the novel timepieces?

The Mont Blanc mountain has always been an inspiration for us across the categories. The same mountain inspires us for our watch creations as well. The Mont Blanc glacier, Mer de Glace, has been a source of inspiration for our glacial dials. Glaciers are found in different shades in nature. Borrowing from this, we introduced blue, green and black glacial dials last year. This year, we have launched a grey dial, which symbolises the greyness of glaciers as well as the frozen ice on mountains due to mineral deposits. The impression has been specially crafted on the dial using an ancient technique called gratté-boisé.

We also have a series of watches that pay homage to the 14 peaks which stand at more than 8000 m above sea level. For the first time, we introduced zero oxygen watches as part of our collection with 4 variants—Geosphere, Chronograph and Automatic Date. The absence of oxygen inside the case not only eliminates fogging, which can occur with drastic temperature changes at altitude, but also prevents oxidization. Without oxygen, all the components last longer and will provide unfaltering precision over time. Each timepiece comes with a certificate as proof of this special, yet invisible technology that guarantees that it has been successfully encased without oxygen.

You’ve been spearheading the luxury segment for many years. What do you think distinguishes India as a market?

India has a culturally rich heritage and has consistently promoted and appreciated art and new art forms. The essence of luxury lies in experience and storytelling, a concept that has long been cherished in India. Indian clientele not only value the artistry itself but also recognise the historical significance and exceptional craftsmanship associated with the creation of these pieces.

So, what is your strategy on retail in India?

Montblanc was one of the first luxury brands to enter the Indian market. Therefore, we don’t have clients—we have collectors and friends who have proudly been a part of this journey for decades. For us, making our clients discover and experience the journey of the maison through its creations is the core strategy.

What would you say is your success motto?

The success motto for us would be delivering great experiences each year through our creations for our customers.

Do you have any words of advice for today’s aspiring entrepreneurs?

For any organisation, placing customers at the centre of every decision is the the core mantra for ensuring growth and success.

And lastly, what are some future projects that you’re looking forward to?

Luxury retail is seeing new addition of space. With expansion in travel sector, retail has an opportunity, both for duty free and duty paid. Our clients are present all over India and e-commerce helps us in connecting with them in over 325 cities.