Waterman detail

Around 130 years ago, a gentleman’s pen stopped working when he was finalizing a huge business deal. He lost the deal fortunately as the world had to see the beginning of a revolution in the writing instruments industry. Lewis Edson Waterman, the gentleman, then decided to make a pen with continuous supply of the ink, and the first fountain pen of the world came into existence.

Started as Ideal Pen Company, the brand was renamed to L.E Waterman Company in 1886. The winner of ‘medal for excellence’ at Paris World Exhibition in 1900, Waterman’s history has gone through several golden moments.

• In 1915, British Prime Minister Lloyd George signed the ‘Treaty of Versailles’ with a golden Waterman fountain pen.
• The brand introduced Waterman 100 in 1939, a highly durable pen with a guarantee of 100 years.
• Waterman launched its first ball pen Panta Bille in 1947 with four interchangeable colours.
• In 1975, Waterman made it to the Paris Stock Exchange.
• Gillette Group acquired Waterman in 1987 to speed up its global expansion.
• Waterman launched the Edson, a revolutionary fountain pen with elliptical shape and curiously futuristic design and shape. The pen was named after its founder Lewis Edson Waterman.
• In 1999, Waterman Serenite, an exceptionally beautiful pen in terms of design, was launched.
• American group Newell Rubbermaid acquired the Waterman in 2000. The group still owns the brand.
• Luxor launched the Waterman brand in India in 2003.
• Waterman Exception (2005), Waterman Ici and La (2005) and Edson 125 (2008) launched.

L.E Waterman died in 1901. His nephew Frank D. Waterman led the brand to its global expansion. Under his leadership, the brand focused majorly on Quality, Durability and Reliability.