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Several online luxury watch retailers are offering Visconti pens on sale. Most notably JomaShop and WorldofWatches. The embedded links send you directly to the relevant search results. Caveat: nib material is not specified and its probably steel or chromium in some cases. No affiliation whatsoever.

Good morning, we bring you good news from Iguana Sell! Next week we will have the pleasure of receiving in our boutique the director of Montegrappa Italia, Giuseppe Alquila. During his visit, we will interview him while "taking a coffee" and he will tells us among other things, some details of Montegrappa's upcoming novelties. We want you to be part of this interview. For that reason we invite you to propose us the main topics for the interview. What interesting questions would you like to ask the director of Montegrappa Italia? You can leave your question in this thread or contact us by private message. All your suggestions will be taken into account. Do not miss this opportunity to get to know all the details and curiosities of the Italian house! Once the interview is released, we will inform you and you will be able to find all the answers in our blog. Thank you very much for your collaboration! Regards, Iguana Sell

The April 2016 issue of Monocle magazine includes ‘Our debut timekeeping and penmanship supplement … a 32-page special on why it’s all in the wrist’. For those unfamiliar with the publication, Monocle bills itself as ‘A briefing on global affairs, business, culture and design’. Most of the supplement is devoted to watches and watchmakers, including five full-page watch ads. On the penmanship side, an essay by Simon Garfield, author of Just My Type (on typography), extols the virtues of writing with pen and paper and there are two double-page pictorials of pens and stationery. Part of the intro, to give an idea of the tone: 'The flourish of a poised* pen or, if you're more artsy, the sweep of a swish pencil across a clean white page: these finer nuances are what it's all about. Here's a sharp edit of desk accessories and writing implements to make sure your workspace looks as smart as you do.' (*Actually it says 'posied', one of several typos.) I count eight fountain pens among the 29 writing instruments depicted: Omas Tokyo Montegrappa NeroUno Hermes Nautilus Kaweco AC Sport unidentified Waterman (Expert?) Faber-Castell Ambition Lamy 2000 Montegrappa NeroUno Linea Clearly someone at Monocle really likes Montegrappa. Notable ballpoints include: Montblanc M S.T. Dupont Classique Lamy Pico Sailor Professional Gear two unidentified Sheaffers two unidentified Crosses There's just one pen advertisement - a full page by Lamy. Copy reads: Happy Anniversary! 1966-2016 50 years of Lamy design. Celebrating a timeless icon. Lamy 2000 Design. Made in Germany. The image appears to be a standard makrolon Lamy 2000 with coloured confetti falling all around. Make of that what you will.

Hello! What does everyone think about Montblanc introducing new products outside the category of writing instruments to the market? e.g. leather goods, watches, eye wear etc... Are you happy that an iconic brand you admire is offering a wider range of products for you to experience? Or do you feel the brand is becoming less exclusive, and that more products are diluting the brands powerful reputation as a well-established writing instrument manufacturer? Do you like the new products that are on offer?

There is a great discussion going on at Sales Of Fountain Pens X Mechanical Watches. The question concerns the relative growth rates of fountain pen collecting v mechanical watch collecting. Over fifty interesting responses so far with insights into specific rewards and emotional satisfactions of each obsession. The discussion raises a question in my mind that probably isn't germane to the active discussion, and that may be inappropriate to this particular venue. If not appropriate, I hope the editor will sinply not put up this post as I don't want to be a troll. Here goes. I am as many may be, overwhelmed with opportunities to both absorb and disperse measages. And the means of both have decome increasingly pure digital. And, if not digital than new forms of mechanical that have nearly replaced the ollder forms of expression. Hand-written communication in analog format - instrument on -paper- is the point of this wonderful site. The meta questions become very particular, ink, FPs, BPs, RBs, paper and the pros and cons of the many offerings. Yet within analog. Watches have their many charms and attractions to express time. From decoration to accuracy to mechanical v battery movements, the opportunirty for expression is enormous. But what is the person/user/collector looking for beyond the depth of collection, fun of the search, care and maintenance of the objects? I think that it is a need for authenticity. the real, at a time when reality becomes more and more virtual. OK. My very peculiar experiences that raises this point. I'm an old guy, Williamsin the '50s, a working career in communications. I've seen and experienceda a number of the changeovers at first hand in printing, design, photography, television, radio, writing techniques, and reproduction. And now I have this reaction to virtual reality. I want more authentic experiences. I'm not talking about children, marriage, career, and all of the experiences that come along with living the life. There is no doubt that they are authentic. I simply find myself needing to write with a pen and ink, rather than a BP or RB, because the pen and ink goes back to my first experiences of real and authentic in writing and reading messages from people I knew. I have bought mechanical watches because I want to wind then to know that Time can indeed 'wind down'. I've just dusted off my film camera and equipment because I want the feel of capturing an image mechanically that I will see as an analog print on paper. I am starting to stop and sketch scenes i pen and ink rather than pull out my phone. I am not trying to be a Luddite. I believe that the new technical achievements have opened our world beyond our imagination. I need, however, to be able to have some small physical portion of my surroundings that I can define as 'real' in other and older terms.

Cross pens will have a new owner this month after the pending sale closes. Has this subject been addressed before? I remember the day when a service/repair request was handled free under warranty, and quickly. Any thoughts?