Serene

The Waterman Serenité is a beautiful tool. As a pen, it certainly stands apart with its original non-straight shape. It is also substantial: 49 grams and 144 mm long when capped.


What is a lot less clear is whether this pen is really usable. It is well made, I admit. The nib axis is perfectly aligned with the curved pen so that it points down when writing. The cap posts tightly on the barrel, with the clip perfectly secured in an ad-hoc metallic depression.


Everything, I reckon, is designed to make this pen a real pen on top of a beautiful object, but I also have some objections. The weight is the main one. The beautiful shape has the disadvantage of making it hard to carry comfortably.

And, finally, the price tag—about €800. For that price there are hundred of pens. Most of them, more usable.


€800 should also buy a more striking nib. It seems that Waterman wanted to attract the attention by the general look and not by the nib. This makes me think this pen is more of a jewel than of a writing tool. A beautiful jewel, nonetheless.


An additional note. In some units of this pen, the ink converter does not fit inside the barrel. Apparently, the problem lies in the fact that roller and fountain pen have very similar barrels and can be interchanged. But the ink converter only fits in that of the fountain pen.

A number of Serenité fountain pens in the market have the roller’s barrel.

(Pilot Super 200 – Visconti Sepia)

Bruno Taut
(In exile, January 5th, 2011)
[labels: Waterman]