Maker: Waterman.
The Charleston was one of the first designs offered by Waterman after its acquisition by Newell Rubbermaid, and depending on one’s level of cynicism, it is either a reassurance that the new owners are attending to the company’s history or a trick to make people believe just that. Its lines are based on the original Lucite incarnation of the Hundred Year Pen, broadly speaking, with a mid-body band flanked by small longitudinal incisions. It is not a precise replica, but like the latter-day Parker Duofold it gives a good suggestion of how the older pen might have evolved if it had remained in production across decades.
Unlike the Hundred Year Pen, the Charleston has a relatively small point. It is, like the rest of Waterman’s modern production, a relatively stiff point, and its short tines have little spring in them. It is smooth enough, but rewards a light hand more than it does a heavy.
Production Run: 2001 to present
Cost When New: MSRP in 2016 is about $240. On the 2007 price list, it was $130, an increase which is not quite accounted for by inflation (try try this calculator if you’re curious).
Size: 13.9 cm long capped, 14.7 cm posted, 11.9 cm uncapped.
Point: 18K gold.
Body: Plastic.
Filler: Cartridge, capacity approx. 0.6 ml or 1.4 ml (international pattern), converter of 0.8 ml
The Waterman Charleston in all its quasi-Art Deco glory.
In profile, the modernity of the clip is even more evident. The false blind cap is highly suggestive of a piston filler, which renders this pen a bit of a tease.
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