Waterman 100 Year Auction: What Am I Missing Here?

[Polanova]

Hi

 

the following fleaby auction of a black (non-ribbed) Waterman`s 100 Year Pen mystifies me somewhat:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-WATERMAN-HUNDRED-YEAR-FOUNTAIN-PEN-OVERSIZED-FULLY-RESTORED/202131168560?hash=item2f0ff4dd30:g:pncAAOSwkLhaIH6Z

36 hours before auction closing it`s at 465 $ with 99 (!!) bidders so far.

 

A couple years ago I spend half of that on a green, ribbed version, same length.

 

I`d like to hear your opinions - what am I missing?

Edited December 9, 2017 by Polanova

[friedrichwild]

Lol. Actually check out the bidders. they are only 5 or so! But they bid again and again.

Edited December 9, 2017 by friedrichwild

[pen tom]

A few months ago I bought a black ribbed version from the 2nd year, with 3 rings. There is some brassing on the clip edges and 2 of the rings, but overall nice condition. I paid $313 on eBay and I thought that I overpaid, but I was on a hundred year pen kick at the time. These things can vary from day to day depending on who is looking at the auction at the time.

[PenBuyer1796]

That is an extremely rare black version! Very hard to find.

[pen tom]

That is an extremely rare black version! Very hard to find.

 

I don't know if you are kidding or not. You have my curiosity up.

[FarmBoy]

 

I don't know if you are kidding or not. You have my curiosity up.

I suspect we all know Buyer 1796...

[jmnav]

Ignorant buyers (saying it without intention to be rude).

 

On one hand, it's not a Hundred Year, but an Emblem, and it's celluloid, not Lucite. Second, because of the lack of rings, I very much doubt it's really an "oversize" model (they had one golden ring on the barrel and that nib doesn't look like a #18 to me). Finally look at the bidders' history: they seem to be newbies.

 

Oh, and something seemed to go wrong, since the very same pen is back on auction again.

[Polanova]

jmnav,

 

the pen in question is indeed an oversize W100YP made from celluloid, as can be seen in the description.

 

History on the Hundred Year pens is a bit confusing, also because Emblem pens with W100Y caps were (very likely) sold at the time.

It is my guess that the first oversized W100YP with a cap ring but minus the barrel rings was produced in 1940-1941 in ribbed black lucite. I`m also guessing that the pen in question was the first oversized model made from celluloid.

I believe only the 1940 models (2nd generation) had the distinction of oversize pens with barrel rings only & smaller sized models with cap ring only.

[Polanova]

Here is what I believe to be the last oversized Hundred Year model in lucite:

Edited December 18, 2017 by Polanova

[langere]

Well, it has a nib that says "Emblem" - I'm intrigued - what is it then?

 

Erick

[Polanova]

It´s a 100 Year pen with an Emblem nib Quite possibly the original nib for that pen.

There must have been a lot of transitional models following the 1rst generation Waterman`s Hundred Year (1939) to Waterman`s 100 Year to Waterman`s Emblem (in the mid-40ies), not to mention differences between US and Canadian produced pens.

Please have a look here:

http://richardspens.com/?page=ref/profiles/hundred_year.htm

Edited December 18, 2017 by Polanova

[jmnav]

jmnav,

 

the pen in question is indeed an oversize W100YP made from celluloid, as can be seen in the description.

 

Which description? It doesn't say "Hundred Year" on the nib, it says "Emblem"; it lacks any mention on the cap nor on the top of the clip, as it should; it's celluloid, with a single ring on the cap and no one on the barrel. Lacking measures, the nib doesn't look (to me) like a #18, as it should. The barrel's end is mid way from square to torpedo-shape.

 

While it might be a 1941-42 celluloid model, if I had to bet, for me it's an Emblem senior-size from 1943 onwards.

 

Of course, I can be wrong.

[Polanova]

jmnav,

 

I`ve read quite a bit about this model because I have three of them. That doesn`t make me a specialist, though.

The best condensed info on the pen is still in the Richard Binder link I gave above.

 

That being said, the pen in question does say "Waterman`s Hundred Year" on the cap - look closely.

The barrel ends changed in the course of a few years, see Binder.

As to the nib - maybe it looks too small because it`s quite deep inside the section.

I`ve compared with my pens - I`d say it has the right size.

 

I have one Hundred Year model from 1940 with no Waterman`s on the clip but the name Ideal on the metal cap end thingy and another one which has waterman`s on the clip but a plain metal thingy.

 

I imagine it to be quite difficult to catalogue every single version of this pen, especially in light of my suspicion that Hybrid models were sold at the time.

I also would guess that Waterman`s continued to use "Hundred Year"-imprinted nibs on the Emblem model and vice versa.

I doubt that they would have re-imprinted older nibs.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Polanova