As you guys know, MB&F always bring the most creative thinking to watches, clocks, musical boxes and now mechanical pens. MB&F are the makers of all things cool and their newest addition is the rocket-shaped pen designed and manufactured in collaboration with the most reputable Swiss writing instruments maker, Caran d'Ache. Complete with rocket-shaped fuselage, a miniature astronaut, shock-absorbing “switchblade” landing gear and a case designed like a launch pad, the new MB&F Astrograph is nothing short of uber cool. This new pen will allow you to transform your desk into a rocket launching station if you have the large sum of money that is required if you want to own this amazing writing instrument in a limited edition of only 99 pieces for two different types of pens.
After the table clocks co-created with L'Epée 1839 and the music boxes co-created with Reuge, the new MB&F Astrograph is the result of a new creative partnership with Caran d'Ache. For any Swiss citizen and world traveler, Caran d'Ache is an institution. The MB&F Astrograph is available either as an 18K white gold-tipped fountain pen —three different finishes available for the fuselage in ruthenium, rhodium or sandblasted rhodium— or a rollerball pen —available in sandblasted rhodium finish—, each limited to 99 pieces just as the 99 components that conform the Astrograph pen, simply the most complex writing instrument Caran d'Ache has ever created.
The Astrograph adventure began four years earlier, when Max Büsser revealed his idea to Caran d'Ache's creative teams to let his childhood dreams of travelling in space unfold in a writing instrument. His meeting with Caran d'Ache paved the way for this idea, as poetic as it was as technically challenging, to become a reality. Explorers at heart, Caran d'Ache's teams drew upon their imagination and technical ingenuity to construct an actual rocket —in reality an exceptional writing instrument that is extremely comfortable in the hand. But developing Astrograph was truly challenging.
Four years of gestation and discussions were necessary to perfect the technical concept. The result of this collaboration is the futuristic designed body of an instrument that comprises a multitude of innovative features among a total of 99 components: a "detent" system of vertical stabilization, launch-pad box and a rhodium-plated magnetic figurine of an astronaut that can be placed on the ladder of the rocket-shaped pen. It took a whole year to develop the final model and more than 500 manual operations where necessary to produce each writing instrument.
In homage to the 99 new components specially developed for the Astrograph limited edition, 99 fountain pens and roller pens are numbered: "1 in 99 pieces".
The instrument unscrews to reveal a fountain pen inside the fuselage. At this point, Astrograph's tactile dimension takes on its full significance here: touch it, feel the smooth run of the screw thread when you undo the cap and the way the rhodium-plated 18-carat gold nib glides across the paper.
The new MB&F Astrograph is by far one of the most unique writing instruments we've ever perused and one that is made for lovers of all things MB&F. The fact that Caran d'Ache collaborated with MB&F on making this writing instrument a reality, says a lot about the power of the MB&F brand. Now, as we mentioned earlier, the entry fee to play with this pen is not low at all; however, if money is no object, every time you sign those billionaire contracts with this little toy, you will have the biggest smile in the room.
Sticker Price $19,900 USD. For more info on MB&F click here.
