Luxury watchmaker Montblanc debuts its own spin on noise-cancelling headphones

Montblanc Smart Headphones
(Image credit: Montblanc)

Montblanc, known for its luxury pens and watches, is debuting its Montblanc Smart Headphones that bring a premium polish to the audio game, which will retail for $595 (around £505, $1,006). 

As expected from the brand that brought you the Montblanc Summit 2 smartwatch, the Qualcomm-powered Montblanc Smart Headphones are chic but not extensively ornate. The headband and ear cups are wrapped in leather, with chromed metal in between – and facing outward on the slider is the six-pointed Montblanc logo.

Buttons lining one of the speakers control volume and noise canceling, while the headphones also support Google Assistant and connect over Bluetooth to iOS, Android, and other platforms. The ears fold inward for travel.

Update: Montblanc has launched a page for the headphones, revealing pricing and details, including claims of 20 hours of battery life.

The Montblanc Smart Headphones come in black leather and chrome, light grey leather and chrome, and a brown leather with a gold-hued chrome. The company will start selling at Montblanc stores and online starting at some point in March 2020.

(Image credit: Montblanc)

A refined Montblanc Summit 2?

The company also revealed the Montblanc Summit 2+, a refined version of their previous luxury smartwatch which retails for $1,170 (around £994, $1,981).

What’s new? Digitally, there’s a new always-on colour ambient mode, which seems a lot like the always-on mode in the Apple Watch 5, though it pares the battery life down to a full day. There’s also a new Timeshifter app that gives peripatetic wearers tips on how to dodge jet lag based on their sleep patterns and flight plan. 

You can also get the Summit 2+ in different watch body looks: in addition to the original stainless steel, the new smartwatch can come in black DLC steel, a rose gold hue and bronze-colored steel. Pricing and availability haven’t been announced.

David Lumb

David is now a mobile reporter at Cnet. Formerly Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, he covered phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made. He's most interested in technology, gaming and culture – and where they overlap and change our lives. His current beat explores how our on-the-go existence is affected by new gadgets, carrier coverage expansions, and corporate strategy shifts.