A watch brand adding writing instruments to its repertoire is not breaking news, but it is notable when a company focuses the same amount of attention and care on its pens as it does on its watches. Such was the case when almost ten years ago now, Blancpain engaged Canadian pen designer and maker Grayson Tighe to produce its writing instruments.
Montblanc is known for a variety of annual limited edition collections lauding renowned figures of history and art. But this new Artisan Edition pen honoring Wassily Kandinsky is designed to not only turn the spotlight on the Russian-born artist and his abstract work, but also the highly trained craftsman at Montblanc who are responsible for this sculpted, gemstone-set fountain pen.
Styljoux unveiled another twist on writing instruments with the new Le Calibre collection, whose sleek look belies what’s going on inside the barrel. The limited-edition pens with sapphire crystal barrels incorporate a weight adjustment mechanism that engages by simply twisting the ring on top of the barrel and effectively changing the center of gravity to the taste of the pen user. Wow!
The new Montblanc commemorative Rouge & Noir line comprises a variety of editions within the Montblanc Heritage Collection, including some ultra-limited high-jewelry versions that really show off the company’s craftsmanship in areas we don’t always think about in pen making – like engraving and stone setting. But for us mere mortals, there are some quite spectacular options in the Heritage Collection Special Edition and Limited Edition 1906 lines.
More than five years ago, Visconti introduced the Homo Sapiens collection featuring a new concept in writing instrument design: lava straight from the active volcano Mt. Etna on the island of Sicily was used to craft the bodies of the pens. Now, a new era is being explored with the Homo Sapiens Dark Age. And though the Dark Ages signified cultural decline, ironically this pen represents nothing if not the opposite.
It’s not often that I come across a fountain pen that I consider mechanical art, so I was really excited when the new Richard Mille Mechanical Fountain Pen was introduced at SIHH 2016 alongside the new timepieces.
Equally thrilling was the fact that this pen was introduced as neither an add-on to the watch collection nor as an aside: it debuted front and center as it should have.
In addition to its Richard Mille-esque aesthetic, the Mechanical Fountain Pen represents a revelation in fountain pen design.
Sheaffer launched the Ferrari collection of writing instruments as an official licensed product in a wise move to broaden its appeal. This year, the Scuderia Ferrari Collection by Sheaffer includes Taranis-style pens in the automotive legend’s famed rosso corsa (racing red) color with chrome-plate trim and the Ferrari prancing horse logo on the clip.
Founded by Armando Simoni in 1925, OMAS is one of Italy’s preeminent pen makers, and it celebrates 90 years of operation this year.
OMAS, whose name is actually an acronym standing for Officina Meccanica Armando Simoni, continues to build upon one of Simoni’s favorite expressions: “A pen must make writing pleasurable.”
So with this goal front and center, he led the way to creating truly beautiful – and highly functional – pens that are found in some of the best writing instrument collections around the world.
The year 2015 marks Caran d’Ache’s 100th anniversary. And to celebrate, the company has delved into its century-long history and collaborated with a Swiss jewelry craftsman to create the limited edition Spirit of Switzerland, an ornately engraved writing instrument made to last for several lifetimes.
I’m glad to see secret watches making a bit of a comeback since I find them to be seductive anachronisms that are very feminine and very functional. Very much in vogue in the 1930s, ҆40s, and ҆50s, “secret watches” kept the time confidential by hiding the watch dial behind a decorative hinged or swiveling cover. Following are five examples introduced earlier this year.