Waterman’s 100 Year Pen, Burgundy with G/F trim , lever-fill
Nib: Waterman’s 100 Year Pen Fine, Medium-flex 14k Gold
Pre-ownd. There are no major imperfections to note: no chips cracks or any sign of faults or surface wear. No box, no paperwork. Writing test, filled & cleaned
Standard (Regular) Size: The most common size found by collectors today. It was slightly shorter and slimmer than the Oversize model but still considered a full-sized men's pen for the era, measuring around 5 to 5-1/8 inches capped. It originally retailed for $8.50.*the original price sticker is on the cap, the price is not legible
NOTE : ORIGINAL BARREL END ; the barrel end of the Waterman's 100 Year Pen is notoriously prone to breaking, cracking, or completely crumbling. In fact, finding a vintage model with its original Lucite barrel end fully intact is quite rare
The Waterman's Hundred Year Pen was introduced in 1939 with a bold 100-year guarantee, but its production was quickly reshaped by material shortages and legal challenges
Designer: Designed by John Vasos, a noted industrial designer.
Materials: Early models were made of bright, semi-translucent Lucite (acrylic) with ribbed barrels, clear barrel ends, and distinctive mid-barrel gold bands.
The Warranty: It featured a literal 100-year warranty, matching a trend among major pen makers offering lifetime or extended guarantees (like Parker's Blue Diamond and Sheaffer's White Dot). the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) legally forced Waterman to stop offering the 100-year guarantee just a few years after the pen launched.
Celluloid Switch: Due to World War II material restrictions, Waterman replaced Lucite with celluloid by 1941.
Design Tweaks: The transparent barrel ends and mid-barrel bands were dropped during this transition.