Simply Abu Dhabi XI

M ontegrappa has long been a brand synonymous with the design and production of some of the world’s finest writing instruments. Since 1912 the brand has been prospering in the North-Eastern region of Italy, and distributing its distinctive luxury pens all over the world. Now over 100 years old, the brand has had an interesting history in recent years. The family company was bought by the luxury conglomerate Richemont at the turn of the century, but when the economy hit crisis point, Richemont agreed to sell the company back to Giuseppe Aquila, head of the Italian luxury brand. With renewed invigoration, Aquila has been steering the company in new directions, the most notable of which is the production of a new timepiece, the Montegrappa Chaos. This striking watch embraces the iconography and symbolism of heavy metal and hard rock, such as dragons, skulls and swords, and the brand ambassador for the timepiece is film legend Sylvester Stallone. The first collaboration between Montegrappa and Stallone was for the Chaos Pen. This successful launch was unequivocal in its message and bold in its execution, and is impressive in its sheer presence. This luxury writing implement found a new audience never before seen in the world of pen collecting. It is the first “heavy metal” pen, an endorsement made real by the sheer joy seen on the face of Chaos fans, such as Rudolf 8 7 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I