FROM THE EDITORS Letters + Events
The Caran d’Ache
TimeGraph
Nancy Olson
Managing Editor | [email protected]
WRITING WITH TIME
ate last year, Switzerland-based writing instrument maker Caran d’Ache introduced a new special-order pen/
watch combo called Timegraph. And while “combo” pens are not new (several quartz-driven pen/watch models
have been offered by various manufacturers over the years), this one has a mechanical movement to entice
timepiece collectors.
L
Caran d’Ache employed Le Temps Manufacture SA, situated in Fleurier,
Switzerland, to produce the new fountain pen’s miniature manually wound
movement for the Timegraph. Visible through a roomy sapphire crystal on
the pen’s barrel, the movement boasts eighteen jewels, rhodium-coated
(and decorated) components and about forty hours of power reserve. An
unobtrusive crown on the side of the pen powers it up.
Many collectors of writing instruments also appreciate fine watches.
Given this long-recognized enthusiast overlap, Timegraph’s outward
appearance was not given a second thought. Confirming the pen’s dual
identity, a second sapphire crystal window on the cap supplies a view of
the 18-karat gold writing point.
This symmetry adds a unique elegance to this standard-sized writing
instrument, whose dimensions belie the 145 expertly fitted components
that keep both the pen and the watch at peak performance.
The palladium-plated metal components and the full black PVD
8 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | WINTER 2020
coating on the body of the pen. These are simply invitations to dream,
since the made-to-order pen may be customized at will. Enameling,
glazing or miniature engraving—all skills available at the Caran d’Ache
workshops—are available upon request. A bespoke Timegraph is
estimated to take between two to six months to complete, depending
upon the level of customization requested.
What I like best about Timegraph is that both its writing and
mechanical timekeeping capabilities are top notch, and neither is
diminished by the instrument’s combo status. A fine writing instrument
from a respected brand and a mechanical watch rolled into one sounds—
and looks—good to me.