Figures ahead of their time. Mavericks unafraid to challenge conventional wisdom. These are the characters who shaped the world by enabling us to understand it. Born in 1473, Nicolaus Copernicus refused to let his faith prevent him from discovering fundamental truth.

The great Renaissance astronomer is the first subject of the Avanguardia Series – Montegrappa’s tribute to revolutionary thinkers. Crafted from sterling silver, Nicolaus Copernicus places the sun at the centre of everything – a silent, tactile reminder to remain constantly curious about the world around us.

Body ornamentation illustrates Copernicus’ heliocentric theory, with 8 eight individually enamelled planets in enamel orbiting a central solar body in vermeil. Engraved cross-stitch patterning denotes his Polish roots.

Tools of the trade. Signature, handmade castings reproduce the instruments found on the Copernicus Monument at Warsaw’s Polish Academy of Sciences, including a celestial globe with biaxial movement.

Issued 550 years after Copernicus’ birth, 550 fountain pens and rollerballs commemorate the father of modern astronomy.

A Reserve Edition of 55 fountain pens includes a companion timepiece.