Elite Traveler Spring 2024

DISCOVER

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Object of desire by Samantha Coles

The written word There is just something about a handwritten note — the intimacy, the elegance, the precision. It’s why fountain pens have stood the test of time, even in the digital age. Many great works of literature were penned the old-fashioned way, and this fountain pen set — the result of a collaboration between two German manufacturers — includes hand written notes from two great authors. Waldmann has been crafting writing instruments for over 100 years; the company was founded in 1918 in Pforzheim, the traditional German jewelry metropolis in the Black Forest, as a production site for gold and silver mechanical pencils. The production of fountain pens followed and, to this day, Waldmann still manufactures all of its instruments in Germany. Waldmann has partnered with Sekrè, a German luxury handbag company that creates ‘handbags with a secret.’ The not-so-guarded secret is that each bag contains fragments of original handwritten documents by notable historical fi gures such as Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens. There was some outcry about these documents being used in this way; however, many of the bags (which cost up to $7,500) have already sold. Waldmann and Sekrè have combined their expertise to create a limited-edition fountain pen set. The Dame of Swan Court edition holds an original piece of writing by Agatha Christie; the set is limited to just 38 pieces. Private Eye of Baker Street includes a letter written by Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, and is limited to only 23 pieces. Each set is presented in an elegant case made from precious wood and holds a handcrafted fountain pen made of solid sterling silver with an 18-karat gold nib and a diamondof fl awless quality. Every pen is a numbered and unique specimen, as are the handwritten artifacts. The original letters were procured after 14 months and a search around the world by Sekrè; the letters were eventually acquired in the USA and in England. The entire process was accompanied, recorded and certi fi edby a notary public. All fragments are fi rmly embedded in the wooden cases and secured under acrylic glass. From $22,200, waldmannpen.com

This image The Dame of Swan Court fountain pen Below The full Agatha Christie set

Photo Christian Eppelt