Waterman Man 100 Etoile Limited Edition 1993

by Jim Mamoulides, April 14, 2002, updated April 22, 2003

Waterman Man 100 Etoile 1993 with nib pin

The Top Man

Waterman introduced the Man 100 pen in 1983, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the company. The first model in the line was a large black plastic pen, 5 5/8 inches long capped, with gold plated trim and a large two-tone 18 karat gold nib. The pen was designed to compete directly against the very large sized top models from Montblanc and Pelikan, as opposed to the smaller top models from Sheaffer and Parker.

The pen followed a lot of the design elements of the Waterman Gentleman line, the company's top model pen since 1974, but was much larger, straighter, and more proportioned like the flattop vintage pens of the early 1900s. This is especially noticeable in the later Man 100 Opera model, which has a black chased Guilloche finish, echoing the chased hard rubber pens of the early part of the century. The clip, almost a direct lift from the Gentleman, gets its fundamental inspiration from the Waterman C/F (cartridge filler) pens introduced in 1953. Since that time, this open center clip style has become a Waterman hallmark.

Waterman Man 100 Etoile 1993

The Man 100 was a very successful line for Waterman, which eventually made the pen in a large variety of finishes, including plastic, lacquer over brass, sterling, vermeil, solid gold and solid wood. Waterman also developed a slender version of the pen called the Man 200. The first sterling silver limited edition Man 100 was released in 1985 with 5,000 units.

Waterman made the Etoile pen specifically for the Italian market, which has a large appetite for finely crafted sterling silver pens. Italian pen makers such as Montegrappa, Delta, and Cesare Emiliano turn out a high proportion of their pens in finely detailed solid silver. There are 1000 numbered copies in the Etoile edition, released in 1993. Interestingly for a pen made by a French company aimed at Italian buyers, the pen was given the name "etoile" is the French word for "star". The pen barrel and cap are engraved in a Fougere style pattern, with the cap top, end cap, and section in plain sterling silver.

Waterman Man 100 Etoile 1993

The pen's own brochure touts its lineage and the pride of ownership, as translated from the Italian, "Man 100 Etoile has been created in only 1,000 pieces by expert hands in the reputed French goldsmith's studios to commemorate the jubilee of a now famous fountain pen, the Man 100, the jewel in black and gold created by Waterman in 1983. Man 100 Etoile, in solid 950/1000 silver, has a large 18 karat gold nib decorated in rhodium, which produces the right flexibility, long life, and durability. Man 100 Etoile is a jewel for collectors in only 1000 numbered pieces." I've often found it amusing that one needs to be told how wonderful it is to own a thing by the thing itself.

Waterman Man 100 Etoile 1993 brochure

The nib is quite large and as with other details of the pen, harkens back to a bygone era. The globe and "Ideal" marks will be immediately noticed and appreciated by collectors of vintage Waterman pens, while the rhodium masking is a more of a Sheaffer Feathertouch look, which is very attractive. The nib is very distinctive and beautiful.

Waterman Man 100 Etoile 1993 cap detail from brochure and outer box logo

This pen was produced before the market became flooded with limited edition pens, as today, but it does show some of the appointments and packaging that one would expect in a limited edition pen. The cap top is a special item, though not serial numbered as on other limited editions, it does celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Man 100 line, as does the white outer box, with its hexagonal mark, later used with the Waterman W to form a logo that appears on the Edson.

Waterman Man 100 Etoile 1993 display case

The packaging is nice, but not overdone. The jewelry style case is a very large version of the usual blue Waterman box and once opened, reveals a centerpiece for the pen, a name and edition number plate, and a loop for a commemorative pin, fashioned as a nib with the edition dates engraved on it. Interestingly, this nib is not a duplicate of the nib on the pen.

Waterman Man 100 Etoile 1993 with nib pin

Performance

The first thing one notices picking up the Waterman Etoile is this is a very large and heavy pen. Unlike the standard model sterling Man 100, which has only the main portion of the cap and barrel in sterling silver, everything about the Etoile is sterling, including the top of the cap, the end of the barrel and the section. All of these are finished in a matte look finish, which further allows the Fougere pattern engraving of the cap and barrel to stand out. This engraving is surprisingly smooth feeling, and with no rough edges to catch on the fingers. It has almost the look and texture of a thick ribbed knitted fabric. All of the physical construction of the pen comes across as heavy, very well executed and first rate.

Waterman Man 100 Etoile 1993

This is a really large pen at 5 5/8 inches long capped and a very long 6 3/4 inches posted. It posts with a very positive snap on the end of the barrel. The cap is going to stay there until you tell it to come off. The cap also snaps onto the section, very securely. The clip is mounted high on the cap, and the pen will sit fairly low in a long pocket, but you'd better be wearing a starched shirt, because this pen is going to weigh down any pocket it sits in.

As is typical with modern pens, it's a cartridge converter pen. There's nothing special about the Waterman converter, as it does the job without fuss. As with other Man 100s, I especially like the gasket in the section screws, assuring a tight fit for the barrel. This pen is not unexpectedly coming apart in your hands.

Waterman Man 100 Etoile 1993 nib pin

The pen is fitted with an attractive 18 karat two-tone rhodium plated fine nib which is engraved with the Waterman globe and "Ideal" trademarks. As with other Man 100 pens I've used, the nib is very smooth, but very firm, unlike the "flexibility" boasted in the pen's brochure. Flex in the 1990s must be very different than in the 1920s!

With that said, the nib is an excellent writer, wet for a fine, very smooth, but not very expressive. It inks the paper immediately on contact.

Living with this pen shows a lot of its really, um, sterling qualities. The pen does not suffer from excessive drying when set down uncapped, always starting up immediately. It also starts immediately when set aside for several days. It writes all the way to empty with no fussing. I've found I have to check it occasionally to make sure I have enough ink, as it will give me no "time to refill" clues.

There are so few of these pens that one is not likely to see them in every pocket, which is the "cachet" of having a limited edition. In spite of the engraving, this is not an "over the top" pen to use, but it's going to stand out in a business setting. If you want a power pen, bring this one to a meeting! They do pop up from time to time, and generally for surprisingly less than their rather high issue price. All that said, this is a really nice writing, though rather formal pen that can work every day and go to the opera, if needs be.