Maker: Waterman.
An early entrant into the club of rather cylindrical modern pens made by Waterman, the Executive is roughly co-terminous with the Gentleman, which was the top of the line from 1976 to 1983, although this model is still appearing in catalogues as late as 1988. It might be thought of as an (upper) middle-class version of the Gentleman. Compared to the Gentleman, it has a similarly sized point, also made of gold, but the clip is a tabbed-in sort of the same breed as appears on the Super Master, while the Gentleman had a somewhat more durable mounting.
This pen is easily confused with its apparent successor, the Exclusive, as they are very similar in looks as well as name. The Exclusive was a slightly grander pen in its trim, with a clip more of the style of the Gentleman and more decorated hardware in general. The quickest way to tell them apart is by the sections; while the Exclusive looks something like a classical column with its lengthwise indentations, the Exclusive’s section brings irresistably to mind a hand grenade, with incisions running both lengthwise and around.
As far as performance goes, the Executive is as much part of the the pack with its contemporaries as it is in terms of looks. The point is showing the evolutionary trend towards stiffer points; this one is much firmer than that in a Ligne 60, but is not as stiff as the point in the Préface, which lay in about the same place in Waterman’s lineup a few years later. One might go so far as to say there is still flex present, rather than the modern spring, and it is smooth writing and with good ink delivery. As far as technological development is concerned, this pen is notable only for coming on this side of the line which defines the use on one side of the old Waterman-specific C/F-style cartridge and the not quite as old but equally Waterman-specific Maxima cartridge, while on the other is the now-familiar international pattern. If I were to seek fault with the pen, it would be in the area of being very slightly top-heavy when posted.
Production Run: c. 1976 – c. 1989 (these are extremely approximate, as my resources for Waterman in these decades are rather shallow; don’t rely on it too much, and if you see an obvious error, let me know. The end date is based on its absence from the 1990 catalogue).
Cost When New: According to a 1987 German market price list, DM320 for a gold-bodied model, DM280 for silver, and DM198 for lacquered, which are respectively about $175, $155, and $110 (for modern value, try this calculator).
Size: 14.0 cm long capped, 15.6 cm posted, 12.0 cm uncapped.
Point: 18k gold.
Body: Brass, with various finishes
Filler: Cartridge, capacity approx. 0.6 ml or 1.4 ml (international pattern).
Waterman Executive. I’ve put the clip in profile like this to emphasize the boxy nature of its upper end.
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