Inside Danny Lau’s world: how a collector’s obsession with Montblanc writing instruments sparked a love for the brand’s watches
In the atrium of Pacific Place some time in 2010, Danny Lau encountered a Montblanc Elizabeth I limited-edition fountain pen that would change the trajectory of his collecting journey forever. “I found it so attractive,” he recalls of that pivotal moment, “and that’s when I started to collect limited editions.” But this transformative encounter represents just one chapter in a story that began decades earlier with a grandfather’s gift and has evolved into one of the most comprehensive Montblanc collections in Asia.
“I think the habit of collecting stuff goes all the way back to my childhood,” Lau says, describing how his collecting instincts were ignited by an unusual gift from his grandfather: a complete sequential run of 100 consecutively numbered Hong Kong banknotes printed just after the Second World War. “One cent banknotes,” he explains with evident fondness, “but one cent, in those days, bought many things.” These weren’t merely currency— they were pieces of history, telling a story of Hong Kong’s post-war cost of living. “That started the whole journey. I like to collect things.”
Today, alongside his renowned Montblanc collection, Lau maintains more than 1,000 miniature toy soldiers—8cm-tall figures that he meticulously arranges in elaborate battlefield dioramas. He explains how his childhood fascination with military history continues to drive his collecting decisions. His passion for these military miniatures led him to convert an entire apartment into a display space. “When I retired, I turned my man cave into a place to put up all these figurines and soldiers and, because I alsodo the landscapes for them, the battlefield and all that. So it needs a lot of space.”
Earlier this year, while travelling in Europe, he bought 20 additional Zulu soldiers to complete historical battle scenes, in his quest to balance his recreation of the Anglo-Zulu War. “Some of my colleagues also commented it’s an unfair battle because you got too many British soldiers, but not enough Zulu. So I bought a number of Zulus to balance the power between the two sides.”
Lau’s journey with Montblanc began long before the German manufacturer established its first overseas boutique in Pacific Place. “I started collecting writing instruments probably 40 years [or more] ago,” he says. “That was way before Montblanc set up their first global boutique, which is in Pacific Place.” His first significant acquisition was a classic Montblanc 149 fountain pen—“the really big one, the black Meisterstück fountain pen that was gifted to me by my wife when I was promoted.” This wasn’t merely a writing instrument; it was a milestone marker, a tangible symbol of professional achievement.
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Danny Lau at the Montblanc store (Photo: courtesy of Tatler Hong Kong / Zed Leets)
What followed was an extraordinary commitment spanning three decades. “Since then, I’ve collected every single one, because they produce one every year, from 1992 up to 2022, I think, when they ended that series,” he says, describing his complete acquisition of the Patron of Art series. He went on to collect its successor, the new Master of Art collection. Certain numbers hold special significance for collectors, and for Lau, the number eight carries profound meaning, rooted in Chinese culture. “Now I’m so lucky that the number eight would be first earmarked for me to see whether I would buy it or not,” he says.
While Lau’s writing instrument collection represents his primary passion, his Montblanc watch collection reveals different collecting motivations. “I wouldn’t call myself a Montblanc watch collector, despite the fact that I don’t know how many I’ve got—maybe 30,” he says. “I get [watches] because I like the look of them and the way that the watch is designed, [not so much for] the mechanical skills. First of all is the look of it, and whether it will fit what I wear, because I actually use them” instead of locking them away in vaults.
Among his most intriguing acquisitions is the Montblanc Rally in only 100 pieces. “It’s a sizable watch. It’s very large,” he says. “It’s a watch that one could put in a car, because it hangs on to the front plate of the car.” True to his pursuit of meaningful numbers, Lau insisted on a specific edition: “I said, ‘I will buy it, so long as I will be allotted number one,’ and I got it. So it’s number one [out of] 100.”
His latest acquisition, the Montblanc Geosphere 0 Oxygen Mount Vinson, represents the pinnacle of adventure watchmaking. “The latest one I got is the zero oxygen one,” he says. “It’s amazing technology. It can go up to as high as you can get on Everest and as deep as 100m underwater. It’s nice to know, [even if] I will never reach that high or go that deep,” he adds with a laugh.
The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere series watches showcase another feature that caught his imagination: mechanical compass functionality, “which is very interesting”, he says. “I wore it on a trip to the Australian outback, because I thought, OK, if Timer, a limited edition produced my phone doesn’t work, at least I know my bearings somewhere in Australia.” The technical heritage particularly appeals to him: “It’s a technique borrowed from the Vikings. You point at the sun and then you can know your direction. So that kind of thing is very interesting for me.”
Lau’s Montblanc writing instruments (Photo: courtesy of Tatler Hong Kong / Zed Leets)
What distinguishes Lau from casual enthusiasts is his sophisticated approach to evaluation. For pens, “especially the limited editions, they are pieces of art”, he explains. “The kind of design, the craftsmanship that is in them is extraordinary.”
Several pieces exemplify this artistic appreciation. The Egyptomania fountain pen represents what he considers near perfection: “It comes in three pieces; a very unusual style. Normally, a fountain pen comes in two pieces, the barrel and a cap. This one actually has a shell to protect the pen as well, and it is a design that Montblanc told me they will never do again because it’s too complicated.”
The Van Gogh Master of Art, a limited edition of 90 of which he secured number eight, features unprecedented artistry: “The pen is actually painted. They use real oil to paint on the whole pen from barrel to cap, like a Van Gogh picture. That’s very unusual.” His concern for preservation is evident: “I still put it [back] in the plastic wrapping every time because I don’t know whether the oil will gather dust or the colour will fade.”
Perhaps most personally meaningful is the Great Wall of China edition: “The reason why, without any hesitation, it’s the one that I need to collect is because, as a Chinese [person], the Great Wall is such a representation [of our culture].” Lau’s philosophy reveals the central tension in serious collecting between passion and investment potential. While acknowledging significant appreciation—he cites one anniversary-edition writing instrument that increased in value from HK$280,000 to HK$800,000 over ten years—he emphasises that financial considerations should never drive collecting decisions. “First and foremost, no matter what one collects—whether it’s soldiers, whether it’s sneakers, whether it’s watches, writing instruments—first and foremost, it’s something that you like, something that will make you happy,” he says. “The most important thing is giving one joy and happiness.”
Lau’s Montblanc watches (Photo: courtesy of Tatler Hong Kong / Zed Leets)
His advice extends to the practical realities of collecting: “It takes me at least one week to clean my writing instruments; each probably takes me [a whole] day to clean properly. But doing all that gives me a lot of joy.” For him, this maintenance represents connection rather than chore. “I think the underlying reason for me getting so many Montblanc writing instruments is their slogan,” he says. “‘Every writing instrument tells its own individual story.’ So for every writing instrument, there is a character or story behind it. Whether it’s a character, celebration for a piece of art or celebration for a piece of architecture, there’s always a story. For me, that is the most important part—not how expensive the materials are that have been put into a particular fountain pen but the kind of craftsmanship and the thinking behind it, and the story behind that particular writing instrument.”
After four decades of collecting, his advice can be boiled down to one simple statement: “Go for your passion, whatever you collect.”
Sitting surrounded by his carefully maintained pens in their custom Italian cabinets, with drawers full of watches he actually wears, Lau embodies what it means to live with your collection rather than simply own it. Each piece has earned its place not through market value or rarity alone but because it sparked something in him—whether that was the technical marvel ofa Viking-era compass system, the artistic ambition of a three-piece Egypt-inspired pen or simply the satisfaction of owning the first edition of a watch series.
There’s something deeply human about Lau’s dedication to objects you can hold, wind and write with. His collection tells the story of a man who never lost his childhood wonder at beautiful, well-made things—whether they’re one-cent banknotes from his grandfather or fountain pens that cost more than most people’s cars.
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