Waterman Pen Company

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Waterman S.A. is a major French maker of luxury fountain pens and inks, based in Paris. It traces its roots to 1884 in New York, founded by Lewis Waterman, who helped create a more reliable fountain pen.

Key moments
- Waterman developed the three fissure feed, then the spoon feed to prevent ink overflow, and won a gold medal in Paris in 1900.
- After Waterman’s death in 1901, his nephew Frank D. Waterman led global expansion.
- The company introduced a permanently attached pen clip in 1905 and the first retractable nib safety pen in 1908.
- Competition with other brands eventually hurt the business, and the American operations shut down in 1954.
- The Paris branch, Waterman-JiF (later Waterman S.A.), survived and later absorbed parts of the American and British businesses.

Ownership changes
- Waterman was bought by Bic in 1958, then by Gillette in 1987.
- Gillette sold Waterman to Sanford (a Newell Rubbermaid unit, now Newell Brands) in 1993, along with Parker.

Pens and innovations
- Early Waterman pens were hard rubber with 14K gold nibs and later featured precious metal trim.
- The company helped popularize cartridges with the Waterman C/F in 1953.
- In 1983, Waterman launched Le Man 100 for the luxury market.
- Modern Waterman pens include models such as Edson, Exception, Philéas, Hémisphère, Expert, Harmonie, Charleston, Ici et Là, Audace, Sérénité, Liaison, and Carène.