The general director of the watchmaking division of the ‘premium’ brand celebrates the association with the former French soccer player
MADRID, 13 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The general manager of Montblanc’s watchmaking division, Laurent Lecamp, celebrates the association with the former French soccer player for Real Madrid Zinedine Zidane, ambassador of the fountain pen, watches and accessories company with whom he shares, according to him, the “belief that we can all leave a mark” by doing what inspires us.
In an interview with Europa Press, Laurent Lecamp stated that Zinedine Zinedine is, without a doubt, a “legend” in Spain and Europe and whose figure is admired not only for his contribution on the pitch as a football player and coach but also off it. for being inspiration for his way of thinking.
“He is charismatic and recognized by several generations, but for us he is a person who is true to himself and carries on the values his father instilled in him. As a Montblanc Mark Maker, it is very significant for him to share such a powerful story passed down from father to son through the many letters he wrote to him and the book he published. That is a testament to the power of writing and how it shapes us from generation to generation,” he said.
However, Montblanc’s relationship with ‘ZZ’ has less to do with a deliberate focus on sport and more to do with his identification with the Mark Maker philosophy, “and the fact that he shares Montblanc’s belief that everyone has the potential to make a mark by doing what truly inspires them.
Montblanc, a collaborating partner of the Laureus Foundation, the body that awards the ‘Laureus Sport’, the so-called ‘Sports Oscars’, works with various NGOs that intend to use sport to end some of the scourges of society such as violence and discrimination for any condition.
“The objective of the current Montblanc program is to combine sports and writing by organizing workshops with sports psychologists and teachers specialized in both fields. The goal is to help children better manage and understand their emotions through these classes, first attending a sports class and then writing about the emotions they are experiencing,” he argued.
Montblanc defines itself as a ‘Maison’, a ‘house’ that has evolved to meet the needs of its customers as their lives have changed. “It’s been at the heart of the brand from the beginning to be the company that helped revolutionize the culture of writing with innovative fountain pens,” he recalled.
However, Lecamp clarified that customers enjoy their traditional and mechanical watches, but that there is also “a place” for the “smart” in their “connected lives” and, therefore, “it made sense to add this technology” to the offer of the company and other products such as headphones or ‘Augmented Paper’, which allows those who love to write by hand to digitize their work in real time.
In his opinion, elite athletes can be ‘Mark Makers’ by choosing a less conventional path to achieve their success, but he stressed that the last in the watch category are, for the most part, mountaineers and explorers who have that mentality that allows them to push your limits.
“THE MOUNTAIN IS IN OUR DNA”
The Italian Reinhold Andreas Messner was the first person in the world to climb the 14 highest mountains in the world, the ‘eight thousand’, without the aid of oxygen, and was part of the Montblanc family. They then welcomed Nimsdai Purja, early this 2022, the fastest man to climb those 14 mountains.
“Mountains are at the core of our DNA, with the Montblanc logo representing a bird’s eye view of this iconic mountain and its six glacial valleys. What inspires us is courage, skill, work ethic and sense of of the adventure of these gentlemen that also fits with the values of the ‘Maison'”, he pointed out.
The sports watch and accessories sector of luxury brands such as Montblanc keeps an “open mind” when it comes to collaborations with the world of sport and sustainability. “We are very excited about the second year of our current partnership with Ferrari, a legendary automotive brand that has played a leading role in racing for decades and is an icon of mobility,” he said.
Regarding respect for the environment, Lecamp highlighted that Montblanc is “very committed” to minimizing its carbon footprint and collaborating on projects that connect education, writing and sustainability so that the younger generations are better prepared to achieve objectives such as the SDGs of the ONU. “One of them is our partnership with ‘Fond pour l’Environement et la Haute Nature’ (FOEHN) in Chamonix, France, at the foot of Mont Blanc,” she noted.