Caran d’Ache - Caelograph Limited Edition Writing Instruments
World renowned Swiss luxury accessories brand Caran d’Ache unveils a unique fine writing instrument, the Caelograph, which combines technical expertise with design in exploring one of man’s most fascinating passions: the sky.
In its long tradition of innovation, Caran d’Ache has developed another exceptional writing instrument that demonstrates great creativity and expertise. Like inventors always searching for new solutions, the craftsmen at Caran d’Ache have worked closely with an astronomer to produce this unique instrument that explores the sky and the stars.
Beyond its basic function as a writing instrument, the Caelograph is also able to work as a sky watching tool. This highly technical, yet artistic creation with its ingenious mechanism allows you to see the position of the stars and the constellations at any given time, on any date. It brings alive the close, mystical relationship that has existed between man and the stars, Earth and sky, since the dawn of time.
With all its mysteries, myths and legends, the nature of the cosmos has always raised countless questions. Over the millennia, man has learned to observe and measure it in order to understand it better and use the stars and their movements as valuable indicators of time and direction. From the earliest explorers to the latest research in physics, the constellations and stars have guided man’s progress and inspired his dreams. Caelograph puts a small part of this dream within easy reach.
With great technical expertise, this exclusive invention presents a map of the sky in a design enhanced by midnight blue Chinese lacquer. Apart from the natural requirement for accuracy, reproducing a fl at map on the curved surface of a pen is a serious technical challenge. For the first time, the projection process known as Mercator has been applied to a writing instrument. In a second technical feat, Caran d’Ache has managed to represent, on a surface as small as the pen body, the 51 constellations and 353 stars visible from the northern hemisphere.
And that is not all it does. The sky chart is mobile in order to indicate the position of the stars at any chosen time. This astonishing capability is made possible by an exclusive, highly ingenious mechanism based on two rings. One of the rings is mobile and is dedicated to the time, while the fi xed ring is marked in days and months. By adjusting their position, the map can be set to the precise time and date required. A rotating semi-transparent sleeve reveals the visible part of the sky, indicates the horizon line, the compass points and the zenith.
To match this outstanding technical achievement, the Caelograph provides a case enhanced by midnight blue Chinese lacquer, applied according to the strict rules of the art, capable of showing the sky. This decorative technique, which was developed in China more than 3000 years ago and handed down over the generations, requires great dexterity. Very few western craftsmen share its secrets but Caran d’Ache is committed to preserving the precious skills involved in its Geneva workshops. First, the resin is collected from the toxicodendron vernicifluum (lacquer tree) then filtered and purified by hand before colour is added. The lacquer is applied in several extremely thin layers, which are dried and polished to produce its exceptional depth of colour and brilliance. For the Caelograph design, fi ne silvered particles are incorporated into the top layer to add depth to the starry sky which creates an extra challenge for the company’s master lacquerer. The stardust effect is striking and the Milky Way appears in a translucent cloud.
Several other elements form part of the decor. The cap and the nib carry the hour lines typically found on sundials, making a light contrast with the dark Chinese lacquer. A compass rose is mounted on the tip and another is engraved on the nib. The clip is shaped like a compass needle, evoking the ageless link between navigation and astronomy. Depending on the model, the brightest stars are represented by diamonds, including Sirius in the constellation of Canis Major, the Great Dog.
The Caelograph is produced in three versions and presented in noble box. The Alpha edition is coated in platinum and limited to 120 fountain pens and 120 roller pens, a reference to the 12 constellations of the zodiac and the 12 months of the year. The Sirius edition is gold plated and set with a diamond as a tribute to the brightest star in the heavens. It is limited to 52 pieces for the 52 weeks of the year. For those who love the infinity of space, the Zenith refers to the highest point imaginable or the highest degree of knowledge. Only one Zenith piece has been produced, in solid rose gold decorated with 22 diamonds symbolising the 22 brightest stars in the sky; the clip and piston pump are also set with a diamond. Each piece has been produced to the demanding Swiss Made quality standards and carries a lifetime guarantee. Presented with a matching compass and inkwell, the Caelograph invites you to touch the stars with Caran d’Ache’s most beautiful pen.
The Caelograph is produced as a fountain pen and a roller pen. To meet the preferences of its international clientele, Caran d’Ache proposes three latitudes (20°N, 30°N and 45°N) and offers the personalisation of the pen by engraving it with the geographical coordinates of any chosen location. Each piece in the platinum-coated Alpha edition is numbered from 1 – 120 (for each of the 3 latitudes) and from 1-52 in the Sirius edition, gold plated and set with a diamond. The unique Zenith piece is in solid pink gold, with 22 diamonds set on the body and a single diamond on the clip and the piston pump.
Technical details
NIB: 18-carat gold, protected with platinum in the Alpha version. Fine engraving of the compass rose that is mounted on the tip of the pen. M, F or B width available on request. The writing block is engraved with the hour lines typically found on sundials.
RINGS: One ring carries the Caran d’Ache logo, Swiss Made and the individual number. A fixed ring is engraved with the months and days, and a mobile ring is engraved with the hours of the day.
CAP: In midnight blue Chinese lacquer impregnated with particles of aluminium, and engraved with the hour lines associated with sundials.
CLIP : n the form of a compass needle. Set with a diamond (Ø1.10 mm) for the Zenith edition.
BODY: 51 constellations and 353 stars are delicately engraved on midnight blue Chinese lacquer impregnated with particles of aluminium. A semi-transparent sleeve is superimposed on the sky chart indicating the horizon line, the other compass points, the Zenith and the latitude. Polished to highlight the brilliance of the midnight blue lacquer. A compass rose is mounted on the tip.
INK SYSTEM
Fountain pen: Piston pump or cartridges.
Roller pen: Caran d’Ache roller point cartridge.
PISTON PUMP: Set with a diamond (Ø1.10 mm) for the Zenith edition.
PRECIOUS STONES
1 diamond in the Sirius edition (Ø1.30 mm). 24 diamonds totalling 0.15 carats (Ø 1.10 mm) in the Zenith edition.
Ethical diamonds of controlled origin and uninvolved in the financing of armed conflict, in conformity with UN resolutions.
Pen accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
