December 31, 2008
Timely Inspiration
Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux’s iconic timepiece, the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, was the inspiration for a collection of new limited-edition writing instruments by the watch brand. The barrel features a precious-metal overlay that is engraved with guilloche similar to the finishing found on the watch movement. In addition, the jewel-set clip is a double-arrow shape reminiscent of the bridge on the Girard-Perregaux timepieces, and the cap crown is engraved with the iconic GP logo. The black resin piston-filled fountain pen is equipped with an exclusive high-capacity double reservoir system and features an 18-karat-gold nib. The black resin fountain pens are available with sterling silver (999 pieces) trim or pink gold (99 pieces) trim; the roller-ball pens (999 pieces) have silver trim. There are also 199 sets of silver-trimmed fountain pens and roller-ball pens available. Prices start at $2,900 for the sterling-silver fountain pen. (877.846.3447, www.girard-perregaux.com)
—Nancy Olson
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December 9, 2008
The Motion of Music in Design
Loiminchay’s newest Jazz pen may at first glance seem a departure from the company’s signature Asian art themes. But a closer look reveals a Zen-like blend of design and materials with an unmistakable reference to jazz music. Yin and yang are expressed on the body of the pen through the flowing fusion of 18-karat white gold and 18-karat rose gold on both the cap and barrel, rendered flawlessly by Italian master goldsmiths. And a chromatic spray of precious gemstones, representing the effervescence of musical notes, embellishes the precious metal. The prospective owner of the pen may determine the number, type, and placement of the stones, or this decision may be left to the designer, Patrick Chu. Just 12 Jazz fountain pens, each completely unique, will be produced in a 12-month period, beginning this month. Each piston-fill pen has an 18-karat gold nib. Pricing is dependent upon the number and choice of gemstones. (212.941.7488, www.loiminchay.com)
—Nancy Olson
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November 5, 2008
Dragon Desk Decor
Cartier has held a fascination with the Orient since the early 1920s, interpreting China’s messages in its Art Deco creations. The French luxury house’s newest desk set, the Exceptional Dragon Décor Collection, features the Chinese mythological dragon within an assortment of pens, desk clocks, jewelry boxes, and table lighters. The collection includes a solid-gold Red Dragon fountain pen ($240,000), with a cloud motif inspired by a Cartier-designed 1920s lipstick case and embedded with 522 diamonds totaling almost four carats. A limited series of eight numbered pens have been made, each positioned on a rock crystal stand in the shape of a cloud. The Dragon desk set designs range from $200,000 to $640,000 for a rock crystal and onyx mystery clock set atop a ruby-eyed golden dragon figurine. (www.cartier.com)
—Alexandra Foster
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October 7, 2008
Improved Penmanship
Conway Stewart, the 100-year-old Devon, England-based writing- instrument company, has created a way to balance a pen’s center of gravity to suit the writer’s individual writing style to provide greater comfort. Unveiled in July after three years of research, the Evolution shifts the center of gravity from the front to the back of the pen, depending on the preference of the writer. The Evolution “learns” how best to accommodate the writer’s technique to produce heavier or lighter strokes. The limited edition Evolution sells for $2,700. (www.conwaystewart.com)
—Alexandra Foster
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September 16, 2008
A Theme of Love
AP Limited Editions combines Japanese and Russian art techniques to create its newest series of artistic fountain pens. The Puppet takes its style from the Japanese Ukiyo-e paintings from the Edo period (1690-1850), which depict imagery from folklore and mythology. To execute the design theme, each brilliantly colored pen is rendered in the Russian miniaturist tradition of the Palekh School, a leading center of Russian icon and mural painting that emerged in the 19th century. Love is the central theme, with a hand-painted image of a graceful young woman holding a puppet of her lover emblazoned on the cap and barrel. Only nine pieces will be created, each priced at $14,000. The eyedropper-filled pen, which comes in an inlaid-wood presentation case, features an 18-karat gold nib—and no clip, so as not to interrupt the perfection of the painting. (310.920.9872, www.aplimitededitions.com)
—Nancy Olson
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September 2, 2008
Stone and Steel
Serpentine is a natural stone that ranges in hue from green to gray to black, and when expertly polished, as in the case of the Serpentine Stone pen from Grayson Tighe, its true and complex character is revealed. No two pens within the limited edition of 18 fountain pens and 18 rollerball pens are exactly alike, since each is handcrafted by master pen maker Tighe using age-old turning, engraving, and finishing techniques. The mossy earth tones of the vase-shaped stone barrel are a perfect counterpoint to the linear design on the pen’s stainless steel cap and trim. The fountain pen, priced at $5,500, features an 18-karat-gold two-tone nib. The rollerball model is priced at $5,300. (905.735.1725, www.tighepen.com)
—Nancy Olson
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August 19, 2008
A Patron with Passion
Each year, Montblanc pays homage to a renowned art patron from the past with a specially designed limited-edition pen. This year, the German pen maker immortalizes François I, crowned King of France in 1515. With a passionate appreciation for art, architecture, and literature, he was instrumental in attracting some of the most important Italian artists to France—including Leonardo da Vinci.
The Renaissance-style gilded clip, crown, and decorative bands on the pen perfectly complement the jet-black resin cap and warm-brown tiger eye barrel. The tiger eye is of particular significance, since François I wore this stone as an amulet throughout his lifetime. Priced at $3,000, the Montblanc Patron of the Arts François I limited-edition fountain pen (4,810 pieces available worldwide) features a hand-engraved 18-karat gold nib decorated with three lilies signifying the French Royal House of Valois. (800.995.4810, www.montblanc.com)
—Nancy Olson
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July 29, 2008
Omas’ Flight of the Phoenix
To commemorate the summer Olympics in Beijing, Omas is introducing the Flight of the Phoenix collection of fountain and rollerball pens. The Chinese phoenix, or fenghuang, a symbol of unity, is rendered in bold lacquer on the pen’s barrel, and the Parthenon, Greece’s finest temple, is on the cap. These two great civilizations are thereby symbolically joined to create the whole of the pen, with a stylized Greek key band marking the place where they meet. The Beijing Summer Palace is engraved on the 18-karat gold nib, and jade crowns the cap. The limited-edition collection comes in a variety of color and precious-metal combinations—including a platinum and diamond edition of just eight fountain pens, each priced at $60,000. (516.741.0011, www.omas.com)
—Nancy Olson
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July 15, 2008
Dunhill’s Canine Expression
A symbol of Great Britain’s invincible spirit, the bulldog is an iconic element within Dunhill’s repertoire of luxury accessories. It dates back to the turn of the 20th century when the British-based brand sold bulldog car mascots to Edwardian motorists. And today, it takes center stage in the Alfred Dunhill Bulldog collection of products—from paperweights to key rings, cuff links to pens.
The limited-edition Bulldog Fountain Pen is black resin with sterling silver appointments—including the face of the canine poised on the crown. The cap is encircled with two rings, each reminiscent of a studded dog collar, and the clip is in the shape of a paw. Priced at $3,450, it is available at Dunhill boutiques and select retailers. A limited edition of hand-carved onyx Bulldog Cufflinks is also available. (800.776.4053, www.dunhill.com)
—Nancy Olson
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June 24, 2008
Outer Space Odyssey
The limited-edition Omas Marte fountain pen references man’s fascination with Mars. Made from rose gold and precious gems, the pen’s surface is a miniature map of the red planet, replete with craters and canyons. Olympus Mons, the highest point, and Hellas Planitia, the lowest point, are among the topographical features that are visible. Two carats of brilliant-cut diamonds on each end conjure polar ice, and four rubies set on the sculpted cap and barrel mark the landing spots of U.S.- and Soviet-launched probes. The edition comprises only 30 pens, each priced at $43,000. Marte is the final piece in Omas’ Man’s Journey series. It follows Merveille du Monde, Apollo 11, Atlantide, and Gaia. (516.741.0011, www.omas.com)
—Nancy Olson
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June 3, 2008
Tibaldi Gears up With Bentley Motors
Italian pen maker Tibaldi has teamed with Bentley Motors for a special- edition collection that pays homage to the venerable automaker. The Continental Collection features distinct details reflective of the car company’s well-known continental design. The detail along the pen barrel and cap, for example, resembles the knurled bands of the switch gear on the car’s interior, and the engraved retaining clip on the cap is the same typeface seen on the engine bay. The collection, available in signature Bentley colors, includes a fountain pen for $2,500 (shown), ballpoint for $1,500, and roller ball for $2,000. The collection can be purchased at any Bentley Motors dealer and through Tibaldi pen dealers. (www.tibaldi.it)
―Alexandra Foster
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April 15, 2008
A Revered Art
The art of Japanese porcelain making is at the core of Sailor’s Arita writing instruments. Named for the city that gave birth to this art form in Japan more than 400 years ago, the Arita features hand painting on porcelain—a first for Sailor. One of the collection’s six traditional designs, the Koimari-Cherry fountain pen (shown) features a floral motif in vivid shades of blue and red. The porcelain for the cap and barrel is crafted in much the same way as in the Edo period (1603-1868), during which highly accomplished artisans produced wares reserved for the royal courts and nobility. The Arita fountain pens, with 21-karat gold nibs, are priced between $1,500 and $3,000. (www.sailorpen.com)
―Nancy Olson
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April 1, 2008
An Expressive Collaboration
Omas and Maserati, both founded in Bologna, Italy, set out to create a sleek expression of their respective craftsmanship. The result is the Omas for Maserati fountain pen, which is a masterful interpretation of the Italian brand’s iconic GranTurismo automobile. Created in sterling silver, the satin-finished cap is crowned with a rendering of the car’s famous front grill, and side vents are engraved on either side of the aerodynamic clip. The barrel is decorated with a linear design emphasizing the conical form of the pen, perfectly contrasting the hexagonal shape of the highly polished filling knob. The limited-edition series of 1,200 fountain pens, each with an 18-karat gold nib, and 714 roller-ball pens, are priced respectively at $2,950 and $2,750. (www.omas.com)
―Nancy Olson
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March 18, 2008
Italian Art in Writing
Trevi Fountain, one of Rome’s most famous sculptural masterpieces, is immortalized in the Trevi collection of pens from Stipula. This Florentine pen maker, known for its exquisite metalwork, has imbued each piece with the spirit of its namesake, creating masterpieces of its own in 18-karat gold and sterling silver. Each pen is a one-of-a-kind sculpture, with highly polished enamel in watercolor shades of blue and green complementing the matte-finished cast metal. Trevi is part of Stipula’s Academia project, wherein the Italian Renaissance is explored each year through the medium of the pen, using authentic Florentine craftsmanship to create each collection. The gold fountain pen is priced at $14,800 and the silver, $5,000. (www.stipula.com)
―Nancy Olson
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March 4, 2008
Fit for Royalty
The private salon of Countess Ottilie von Faber (1877-1944) was the inspiration for this year’s Graf von Faber-Castell Pen of the Year. The countess was the wife of Count Alexander zu Castell-Rudenhausen, who became head of Faber-Castell in 1900. Ottilie’s grandfather Lothar, great grandson of the founder, stipulated in his will that all successors must bear the name Faber. Thus the new company name, Faber-Castell, came about when Alexander and Ottilie married at the turn of the century. Inspired by the Indian satinwood paneling in the countess’ salon at the family castle in Stein, Germany, along with the herringbone pattern on her writing desk, the company’s new handmade satinwood pen replicates the same pattern. Priced at $3,000, each pen in this limited series, which is for sale exclusively in 2008, is crowned with a faceted citrine. (www.fabercastell.com)
―Nancy Olson
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