Wolff Heinrichsdorff, one of Montblanc's managing directors (the company has two joint MDs), tells BT that the world has changed, and the brand is attracting more female customers today - who aren't just buying gifts for their colleagues, friends or loved ones who are male.

'The female Montblanc customer is one who is self-aware, who's successful in her business life and also personal life, and who share the same values as our male customers,' he says.

And in the 21st century, the successful female executive is no longer suppressing her natural feminine qualities or beauty, trying to look masculine to be successful, as they did in the 70s and 80s. 'Times have changed, women want to express themselves,' Mr Heinrichsdorff notes.

While many still see Montblanc as a 'male' brand, it's not so much male as it's masculine, he stresses. 'We have a masculine heritage, yes, and this masculinity is attractive to females,' he adds smoothly.

He notes that about 25 per cent of Montblanc's products are already aimed specifically at women and will continue to trend upwards. 'About half of our customers are female, many of whom are buying for themselves.'

'We're also in the process of renovating our stores in order to dedicate a third of the space purely for ladies - creating a place where they can find female-specific products, and this will also support the launch of the diamond jewellery collection,' says Mr Heinrichsdorff.

About Montblanc's move into fine jewellery, 10 years after it started its own line of watches, the former vice president of marketing for Swatch says that Montblanc doesn't just stand for quality writing instruments, but in a wider context, for the highest quality with the best European craftsmanship.

Mr Heinrichsdorff had joined Montblanc as executive vice-president for marketing and sales in 1991, before being promoted to managing director in 2004.

'Our brand positioning is that it's a brand for successful people, and those with a cultured lifestyle. That is our roots, it comes from writing, because writing is one of the highest forms of culture, without which society wouldn't exist as it does today.'

With its roots in European craftsmanship, it wasn't far-fetched for the brand to develop its own line of watches and jewellery, he notes. 'Our pen makers could talk immediately with our watchmakers because it's still about mechanical precision, so they have the same issues, ideas and vision.'

And in this throw-away world where technology changes by the hour, people are beginning to appreciate the art of writing again, as the healthy sales of Montblanc's writing instruments indicate, he says.

'Montblanc tries to create products which are long-lasting, products which you can pass to the next generation whether it is a pen, a watch, or a piece of well-crafted jewellery.'

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