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My experience with the Caran d'Ache 1010 LE pen


lanatir

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Just a few weeks after South East Asia's first Caran d'Ache boutique opened in the posh new massive shopping mall of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I managed to catch a most privileged viewing of the limited edition 1010 rhodium piece (of which 500 pieces are made). The pen had just made a successful entrance in Singapore the night before (10/10/07 by coincidence) and was in KL for just a few hours so I made sure I did not miss the chance to see what some may consider, a true convergence of the watch and pen industries. There are also 10 of such pieces made in solid gold.

 

My hosts were none other than Mr Silvio Laurenti, CEO of Caran d'Ache as well as Mr Olivier Walthert, MD and Ms Jaime Gooi, GM of Dianomiq Pte Ltd (Malaysia/Singapore distributors for Caran d'Ache).

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064680.jpg

(L-R) Mr Olivier, Mr Silvio and I.

 

I understand that it took more than a year to develop the pen due to the difficulty in obtaining the parts. The skill required for such craftsmanship, Mr Silvio mentioned, is also scarce due to competition for skilled human resource with the watch industry in Switzerland.

 

Of course the pen is laden with details that can be related to fine mechanical watches. For example, even the ink bottle has a cap that is made to look like a watch crown.

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064678.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064679.jpg

 

The finely engraved nib...

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064677.jpg

 

Observe and guess what these parts relate to in a mechanical watch...

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064664.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064665.jpg

 

Impeccable workmanship

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064671.jpg

 

On to the amazing skeleton barrel that is made transparent with the use of sapphire crystal

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064666.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064667.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064668.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064669.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064675.jpg

 

Caran d'Ache had to source for a balance wheel to fit the tip of the barrel... notice the spring?

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064670.jpg

 

Even the converter is not spared any detail...

 

Skeleton work

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064673.jpg

 

The end of the converter is finished with a fine ruby to symbolize the jewels of a mechanical watch

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064672.jpg

 

After this wonderful experience with the stunning 1010, I had a short chat with Mr Silvio and Mr Olivier about Caran d'Ache's plans for the future and was pleased with some of the interesting developments being done over in their R&D.

 

I also did not miss the chance to have a look around the newly opened boutique which not only sells pens but also fine Caran d'Ache products.

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064681.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064682.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064683.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064684.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064685.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064686.jpg

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064687.jpg

 

And I got the 1010 book for keepsake (since I cannot afford the pen anyway hehehe)

 

http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064688.jpg

 

My thanks to Mr Silvio and Mr Olivier for kindly accommodating me in their tight schedule and also to Ms Jaime for remembering that I love pens and inviting me.

 

Thanks for viewing.

Edited by lanatir

Regards

Kelvin

My Blog

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Wow what a phenomonal pen, I would hate to think what it would cost-although i would buy a bottle of ink if it came in that bottle, I read somewhere that they produced the most expensive pen ever for $265000 USD...

Lamy 2000-Lamy Vista-Visconti Van Gogh Maxi Tortoise Demonstrator-Pilot Vanishing Point Black Carbonesque-1947 Parker 51 Vacumatic Cedar Blue Double Jewel-Aurora Optima Black Chrome Cursive Italic-Waterman Hemisphere Metallic Blue-Sheaffer Targa-Conway Stewart CS475

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Spectacular pen!!! Wow what a fête of engineering! Can't even guess what the price would be!?

PAKMAN

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Kelvin! Great photography of a stunning pen. :) One day I'll make it to Pavilion - I hear it's the shopping destination to beat nowadays. :)

 

KL has a whole new slew of shopping spots including the new block at Sunway Pyramid and the also new and massive Midvalley Gardens (another 3 mil sq ft there). Of course, imho Pavilion is the most impressive and upmarket of the lot. You should come!

Regards

Kelvin

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Such a beautiful pen! I saw it in the Pen World magazine and it it looked like such a piece of art. To bad I couldn't see it up close in person... :crybaby:

Montblanc 145, F nib
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Montblanc 149, F nib
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How much for the converter? Maybe in this case, using cartridges is more economical. :-) Beautiful pen and great photography.

Everyman, I will go with thee

and be thy guide,

In thy most need to go

by thy side.

-Knowledge

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That's one beautiful, fully detailed and complicated pen, gorgeous in a mechanical engineering way. Thank you for posting the photos. I am sure I will not see one in person and wish I could fly to Malaysia right away just to ogle, be tempted, and perhaps...

Pedro

 

Looking for interesting Sheaffer OS Balance pens

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Just a few weeks after South East Asia's first Caran d'Ache boutique opened in the posh new massive shopping mall of Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, I managed to catch a most privileged viewing of the limited edition 1010 rhodium piece (of which 500 pieces are made). The pen had just made a successful entrance in Singapore the night before (10/10/07 by coincidence) and was in KL for just a few hours so I made sure I did not miss the chance to see what some may consider, a true convergence of the watch and pen industries. There are also 10 of such pieces made in solid gold.

 

Wow that's a really neat looking pen. I just wonder why they made it a converter filler :rolleyes: Wouldn't it have been neater to have the sapphire on the blind cap and maybe knurl it so it looked like the winding stem of a watch. Then again who am I to offer suggestions on such a pen :embarrassed_smile:

 

 

Kurt

 

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  • 3 years later...

They now make a 1010 Diamond which retails at GPB 900,000....... if only I were a billionaire!

 

Thanks for the pictures.

Fountain pens aren't a collection, it's an insatiable obsession!

 

Shotokan Karate: Respect, Etiquette, Discipline, Perseverance

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For some reason I missed this photo....

 

<img src="http://www.pbase.com/kelvinphoto/image/87064676.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

This photo explains why I would have to give this beautiful pen back if it were presented to me as a gift. Note the sharp step down from body to section. And what's with the multiple bands at the top of the section right where I would hold the pen?

 

Very beautiful to look at, but exceedingly uncomfortable to use if you grasp a pen further back on the body than the average ball point user. :bonk:

 

This is not the only pen company to commit this design sin, but it is the most consistent offender.

 

If it's not comfortable to write with, it doesn't matter how beautifully designed or crafted. Montblanc started down this path lately and lost multiple sales when I couldn't hold the pens comfortably. I had to send back a Montegrappa Modigliani for the same offense. It was literally painful to use.

 

A little less bling and a lot more attention to the end user might result in better sales outside the few collectors who put them uninked into a vault or display case, never permitting ink to touch the nib. :bonk:

 

Sorry to add a negative note, but that's like strapping a garden bench inside the rear of a Rolls-Royce and calling it a seat. :gaah: The design simply isn't finished.

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not meaning to sound ignorant but...

 

does it tell the time?

 

mwahaha....funny, good one

 

 

and another : will they ever make a cartridge/ converter watch ?

Parker 51 Vacumatic 0.7 Masuyama stub; TWSBI 540 M; TWSBI 580 1.1; Mabie, Todd and Bard 3200 stub; Waterman 14 Eyedropper F; 2 x Hero 616; several flexible dip nibs

owned for a time: Parker 45 flighter Pendleton stub, Parker 51 aerometric F, Parker 51 Special 0.7 Binder stub, Sheaffer Valiant Snorkel M, Lamy Joy Calligraphy 1.5 mm, Pelikan M200 M, Parker Vacumatic US Azure Blue M, Parker Vacumatic Canada Burgundy F, Waterman 12 Eyedropper, Mabie Todd SF2 flexible F

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They did. The Romans used them and they were known as water clocks.

 

:) now imagine this on your wrist...

Parker 51 Vacumatic 0.7 Masuyama stub; TWSBI 540 M; TWSBI 580 1.1; Mabie, Todd and Bard 3200 stub; Waterman 14 Eyedropper F; 2 x Hero 616; several flexible dip nibs

owned for a time: Parker 45 flighter Pendleton stub, Parker 51 aerometric F, Parker 51 Special 0.7 Binder stub, Sheaffer Valiant Snorkel M, Lamy Joy Calligraphy 1.5 mm, Pelikan M200 M, Parker Vacumatic US Azure Blue M, Parker Vacumatic Canada Burgundy F, Waterman 12 Eyedropper, Mabie Todd SF2 flexible F

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