Many designers claim to follow the principle “form follows function” but in reality, very few of them are so rigorous and disciplined as Mark Braun is. And Otto Hutt’s latest release, the design08 is only the latest example of how meticulous the German designer follows this mantra on almost every creation that comes out from his studios. Let’s discover together the peculiarities of the design08.
We already had the chance to speak to Mark Braun in occasion of the launch of the Design C another stunning design piece that celebrates Otto Hutt’s 100 years anniversary. On that occasion, Mark has been asked to design a writing instrument that perfectly represents the values of Otto Hutt’s first century of history. Excellent manufacturing quality, precious materials such as sterling silver and a decent sophistication in the design. To use his words: a manifest to democratic luxury. And I think we all agree on the fact, that the Design C perfectly represents all this and is predestinated to become what car enthusiasts call an “instant classic”. On this same wave, Otto Hutt has asked the talented designer to come up with a new model that will certainly be one of most appreciated novelties of 2021.
Lines and cylinders
As soon as you get the chance to look at the design08, you immediately notice 2 things. First, the perfect cylindric shape of the writing instrument and, second, the fact that the lines engraved in the shaft and in the cap support the functions of the respective element. In fact, the guilloché pattern is rotated by 90° on the cap and on the rotatable, cylindrical finial. Thus, serving as an indicator how to rotate for removing the cap and activating the innovative Pull+Twist™ function. So, the fine, regular guilloché lines that characterize the entire ruthenium-coated surface, are wisely hiding a functional feature. How ingenious, isn’t it?
Proportions and innovation
Talking about the Pull+Twist™ filling mechanism present on the design08, we are extremely happy to see this appreciated feature as well on this model since it’s extremely comfortable to use and sophisticated at the same time. As well here, the engineers at Otto Hutt haven’t simply made sure that the mechanism works. They also made sure that with the closed cap, the individual number is in line with the back of the nib. Mark Braun also puts a lot of attention to the right balance of the proportions of his creations. If you pay attention to the proportions between shaft and cap, size of the clip and diameter of the pen, you can’t miss the harmony and balance that this writing instrument transmits at first sight.
Writing and listening
Another very distinctive element of the design08 is the styling of the black section that offers sufficient grip for your fingers when writing. This section of the fountain pen is made of stainless steel, matt black and coated with PVD and presents a nice color contrast to the grey shaft of the pen. Together with the 18 ct gold nib (available in EF, F, M and B) it rounds up an incredibly essential yet harmonious design. Just to underline the excellent quality that Otto Hutt has used its customer, let’s have a look at the last detail of the design08, the clip. The spring-loaded clip is almost as long as the cap and ends in the concave top end of the cap and forms a perfect connection between the two elements. Upon activation, the clip lowers into the recess on the top part of the cap. A detail that might seem insignificant to many but witnesses the obsessive cure that the Otto Hutt engineers put into their work. Listen to the sound of the clip when you release it and you will understand what I mean. If I have to make a comparison to cars again, it’s like when you close the door of a premium class car such an Audi A8 or a Mercedes S-Class. Just perfect.
So all in all, again a masterpiece born from the collaboration between two ambitious companies, Otto Hutt and Studio Mark Braun, that shows once again, that if you stick to your core values and at the same time always push the boundaries to become better nothing can stop you from being successful. Well done ladies and gentlemen!
