When I look at the history of the company, and the range of pens produced, I started quite late in owning a Waterman Pen. I provide some information on the lines, from the Gentleman line as that is the timeframe that I started to have an interest in the pens.
In those days, you could not pick up a pen magaine that did not have a major full page add by Parker, Waterman,Sheaffer. Now when you flip through the magazines you will notice how the profile of the company, through print advertising at least, is considerably lower.
This is the top line Waterman pen that has been in production for a number of years, produced in a range of finishes. The pens come with a 18k gold nib.
When the pen was first released I remember how unique it was in design. The pen, rather than straight, has a gentle curve so it sits very comfortably in the hand. The design concept was to mirror that of the quill pen that has a curve.
The end of the pen is flat so that it can actually stand upright when it is open or closed, although that is not something that I would try too often.
Some of the lines come with a matching roller ball pen. The current lines are made so that the roller ball is a convertible pen that will hold either a roller, ballpoint or felt tip refill.
The fountain pen has a cartridge or convertor ink filling system.
Edson
I still remember the day the folks at Vancouver Pen told me to give this pen a try. A love affair with the Edson started and it has never ended to this day.
This is one hell of a pen. In the end, I bought the blue, green and red lines, each with a different nib. In 2007 when the Edson Diamond Black was announced to be issued I immediately pre-ordered my pen. But when it arrived, I found the finish did not have the look of the others and did not purchase the pen. That even shocked me!
Now considered legendary in terms of its design and construction. When this pen first hit the market there was simply nothing like it. First issued in blue and gold, with green and red to follow. Subsequent models have been in silver and the Diamond Black. The green and red have been discontinued. As of 2010 the Sapphire Blue with gold trim is still in production.
The Anniversary pen, Lewis Edson, in solid sterming silver, was issued to mark the 120th Anniversary of Waterman. Four thousand pens were produced, each individually numbered. The nibs are rhodium-plated 18k solid gold, hand mounted and tested. The pens have an inlaid rhodium-plated 18k gold nib.
The 125th Anniversary Edson is silver with a blue lacquer , graphic diamond pattern on the body. Since this marks the annivesary to 1883, only 1883 pens were produced, each with a serial number on the side of the clip. The pen has a 18k gold rhodium-plated nib.
The pends use a cartridge or convertor ink system. The convertor that comes with the pen match the colour.
This line replaced the Man 100. The pen has a distinctive look because of its square design. The nib section, however, smoothly tapers from a square shape to round, giving not restriction on how you hold the pen. The pens use a cartridge or convertor ink system.
The Night and Day models are large, and the regular lines are considerably slimmer in size.
The Ideal Black has been produced with gold plate trim. The Night & Day Black has silver trim and batt stripes along two sides to give a distinctive look. The Night Day Gold has a guilloche-chiselled gold on two sides of the black resin body.The Night & Day Platinum has guillocheengraved platinum along two sides and the trip is in silver.
The limited edition - The Marks of Time Series. The Marks of Time Series has 1--- in Vermeil, 1,500 in Sterling Silver produced (2009). The Limited Edition series come in a blue lacquered wooden box.
Here Waterman combines lacquer with engraved metal acceent. The Ivory has white lacquer with 23k gold-plated trim and is marketed as a pen for women. The black comes with the either a 23k gold-plated or silver-plated trim with a rich black lacquer finish. The pens have a 18k gold nib highlighted with rhodium.
Waterman says it was the symmetry of yachts that inspired the streamlined look of this series of pens.
The pen comes in a variety of finishes that include red, blue, brown, charcoal gray, black sea, amber (mix of blacks and browns) lacquer with gold or silver trim, depending on the colour. The finish, over a brass interior, provides the pen some weight.
The pens are produced with a 18k solid gold nib. The fountain pen uses a cartridge or converter ink system.
First produced in 2002, the Charleston is modeled after the 1939 100 Year Pen.
The body of the pen, resine finish over a brass inside, is fluted in design and has a wide accent band about one third up the body. The pen has been produced in black, blue, green, yellow and ivory. As of 2010 the blue, green and yellow are no longer in production.
The black comes in gold plate or silver trim and the white ivory with gold-plated trim. The pens have a 18k gold nib. The fountain pens user a cartridge or converter ink filling system. The line produced fountain, roller ball and ball point pens.
A thinner pen in size, the body has etched graphic lines to reflect a urban landscape. The black and blue lacquer pens come with gold or chrome trim. The designer collection has champagne coloured, azure pale blue or silver lacquer bodies and caps. The pens have a stainless steel nib.
The Expert in an Essential line, with black lacquer or matt black finish with chrome-colour trip, a chrome version. The nibs are stainless steel. The City Line came with shinny finishes to the body and cap such as urban silver, urban brown, urban gray and urban blue. The City Line pens came with a satin-lined leather case colour coordinated for the pens. The pens are fitted with a stainless steel nib.
The reference to Expert II refers to the change in colours that rook place in 2003.
Consistently found to be a good working pen with steel gold plated nib. The various lines are typically produced as a fountain pen, roller ball, ball point and also ball point and pen sets. Sanford markets the L'Expert as an line that is on-spot as corporate gifts.
The fountain pen uses as cartridge or converter ink system and fountain pens are available in medium and fine nibs.
This is the fashion line series and is linked with Paris Fashion Week. According to their promotional material, Waterman is a regular fixture at the event and their pens are linked with young and upcoming designers.
The pen is marketed as a woman's pen. It was issued in both a fountain, with stainless steel nib, and ball point model. The pens came with a fashion pen pouch.
The pens have stainless steel nibs. The Starlight Series Gold Trim model comes with 23k gold-plated nibs. The Chrome Trim comes with a stainless steel nib. The Black Lacquer comes with gold trim and a 23k gold-plated nib or chrome trim and a stainless steel nib -- so depending on the model you can have a very different nib with the pen.
A slender pen with a tapered body and marketed as a go-anywhere type of pen. The fountain pens, with a stainless steel nib, use a cartridge or converter ink system and are available with medium width nibs. A ball-point pen is also produced in each of the colour lines.
First issued around 2004, this is the here and there pen, designed for women, the fountain pen uses mini-cartridges only and the roller ball can use either a roller or ball point refill.
The pen produced around 2006 offered the option for a converter because of changes to the inside of the pen.
I will start with this line as it was still in the stores when I started to buy Waterman pens. When introduced, it was considered a high-end pen.
The line came was introduced to the market in about 1974. It was the top of the line until 1983 when the Man was introduced. The Gentleman was considered a substantial pen in weight as the body was made from brass with a lacquer finish and in gold and silver models that were also produced. Complete with gold-fill trim this was a pen a note.
The fountain pen held a 18k nib, and like most Waterman nibs, firm, so you could make carbon copies (remember those).
The ink filling mechanism would accept either standard Waterman cartridges or ink from a bottle using the converter. I mention the standard cartridges as this pen was a departure from other that used the C/F style cartridges.
I was really taken with the Man 100 and purchased a number of pens that were based on this classic line.
The Man 100 was introduced in 1983, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the original U.S. firm. Note to the original US firm as by this time Waterman pens were being produced in France.
Quickly this became the flagship fountain pen for the company. I have seen references that indicate that the President of France, François Mitterrand, was know for carrying more than one Man 100 pen. Suitable then that Waterman brought out a special Man 100 in blue to recognize France.
From my tours of the factory I am aware of the long design stage and testing that goes into a Waterman pen, this was all time well invested as the Man 100 model would be used as a base for a number of other pens.
The Man 100 first came out in a black resin over a brass interior.
Other models such as the Opera or the Patrician used this basic model and were just as dependable. .
In addition the the regular production silver and gold Man 100, in 1993 Waterman issued a Limited Edition, L'Etoile. A stunning pen in silver. The only Limited Edition Waterman I own.
The Waterman Edson, an icon of a fountain pen.