The fact that Caran d’Ache produces impressive writing masterpieces is something we are already used to. But, the way they produce them it’s truly remarkable. Elaborate designs, lots of symbols and motifs, precious stones and metals… are just some of the attributes that any Caran d’Ache limited edition possesses. Today our attention turns to a limited edition collection inspired by the watchmaking industry. Entitled Caran d’Ache 1010 Chrono Sport, this collection was limited to 500 fountain pens and 500 rollerball pens, each one individually numbered. The man behind the concept is the renowned watch designer, Eric Giroud, who made possible a cutting-edge design like these pieces have.
A tribute to the chronograph and to all outstanding athletes, this limited edition might be an excellent opportunity for any watch enthusiast who’s looking to build up a writing instruments collection. Even though this collection was launched many years ago, there is a chance for you to find some pieces still available on the secondary market.
Each writing instrument is the result of highly laborious work due to the fact that Caran d’Ache’s craftsmen have used and combined several techniques such as: guilloche, lacquering, engraving and polishing to create a very distinguished work of art which marked the merging of the worlds of watchmaking and writing instruments.
The 1010 Chrono Sport pens were founded by two cages: the interior one is reminiscent of the complex mechanism of a watch movement and it’s covered in a shiny black lacquer with a red hand-painted gear wheel. The exterior cage, on the other hand, is made of silver-plated and rhodium-coated elements and draws inspiration from the bridges that support a watch’s gear train. The mechanism displayed on the body is only decorative and serves no functional purpose. However, those elements are rendered with such an accuracy that you might think it’s a fully functional mechanism.
The fountain pen’s cap has a pattern inspired by a wristwatch crown and comes in black lacquer finish, very soft to the touch. The clip, crafted in a form of a watch hand is beautifully adorned with a ruby of 0.04 carats and a subtle watch bezel highlighted by luminescent lacquer can be seen on the ring. Now, let’s move on to the nib. Made in 18kt gold and rhodium-coated, the nib has a gear wheels finely engraved on its surface. Caran d’Ache craftsmen built and polished the nib by hand in a way that provides the ultimate softness and comfort during writing sessions. To fill the fountain pen, there are two options available – the piston pump and the cartridges.
We believe that Caran d’Ache has taken its expertise and craftsmanship to another level with this 1010 Chrono Sport collection and we would like to see other releases of this kind in the future.
Part of the same collection, the rollerball pen features a similar design as the fountain pen has and can be filled with a classic Caran d’Ache rollerball refill. There is also a Carbon black ink bottle which comes along with the collection and it’s specifically decorated with watchmaking gear wheels to match the overall look of the collection.
Now, regarding the prices, you should know that at launch, each pen had a price tag of EUR 7700. Today, none of these pens can be found at Caran d’Ache’s stores, but only at individuals or different kind of retailers.
We wonder how many of you have this writing piece in the collection, so let us know in the comments section!
image sources: web
