Breguet Fountain Pen

[rinellatony]

Appearance & Design (10/10)

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet018.jpg

 

So this is my other watch themed pen review. Like the Girard Perregaux I reviewed yesterday, this pen was made in collaboration with Montegrappa. Abraham Breguet is considered one of the best watchmakers of all time and was the person who actually invented the tourbillon movement about 200 years ago. (a tie into the GP review!) Breguet watches today are still highly coveted and sit in the upper echelon of all watch producers, probably one of the top 4 or 5 brands worldwide.

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet006.jpg

 

This is one heavy pen and just like the GP, beautifully done! It’s made of sterling silver designed with Breguet's classic silver and blue look. The patterns and details you see in Breguet’s watches are all over this pen.

 

The Breguet hand as a clip is one signature, the Breguet hands have been copied many times by other watch producers throughout the years.

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet020.jpg

 

Here's a modernized look of the Breguet hands on a watch I used to own.

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Marine%20BD%20II/DSC00423.jpg

 

You will also notice the line running down the side of the pen looks similar to the center of the watch dial.

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet017.jpg

 

The ribbed section of the pen is also a Breguet signature. The blue resin section is Breguet's company color (along with silver)

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet021.jpg

 

You can see the ribbed section on the side of this watch. All Breguet watches have this feature on the side of the case.

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Marine%20BD%20II/BreguetMarineBD013.jpg

 

The B on top of the cap is also stamped on the crown of every Breguet watch.

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet012.jpg

 

The box, just like GP's, is one of the best I've seen and what you'd expect for a $2850 pen. The box is made of lacquered wood.

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguetbox009.jpg

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguetbox011.jpg

 

 

 

Construction & Quality (10/10)

 

The quality and construction of this pen is second to none. It feels and looks like a very nice pen, as I said earlier it was made in collaboration with Montegrappa. You can see that the design is very similar to some of Montegrappa previous limited edition offerings. The America's cup fountain pen is one that comes to mind.

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet008.jpg

 

 

Weight & Dimensions (8/10)

 

This pen is very heavy, the heaviest I ever owned or tried and it may be one of its drawbacks depending on how much you use it. I for one, only take a few notes during the day at work so it doesn't bother me. If you had to write for long periods of time consistently then this probably wouldn't be the pen to use that day.

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet015.jpg

 

The pen does post but makes it way to unbalance to post IMO.

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet016.jpg

 

 

 

Nib & Performance (8/10)

 

The pen came with a medium NIB and the performance is kind of disappointing to be honest. Now the Girard Perregaux uses the same NIB maker and it writes perfect for me so I think it’s just a case of a little bad luck. I will have it adjusted and I'm sure when its done the pen will write just a smoothly as my GP does.

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet011.jpg

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet010.jpg

 

 

Filling System & Maintenance (10/10)

 

This is another piston filled system and it works great. The pen holds a lot of ink.

 

 

Cost & Value (9/10)

 

This is an expensive pen with a retail of $2850 and just like the GP it probably appeals mostly to watch collectors as well. This pen is another must if you’re a watch enthusiast as it’s made from a higher end watch brand than GP is. Aside from finding one used, these pens can only be bought at the Breguet boutiques and the boutiques don't discount so I think this pen will hold its value a little better than the GP which can be bought at dealers with a discount.

 

Conclusion (Final score, 9/10) -

 

In conclusion this pen and the GP are two pens that I highly recommend. The only thing that didn't make the Breguet perfect for me was the NIB performance (which will be adjusted) and the high retail price. With that being said, It’s a pleasure to write with both of them!

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet022.jpg

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet026.jpg

 

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x180/rinellatony/Breguet%20Fountain%20Pen/Breguet027.jpg

 

I hope you enjoyed the reviews!

 

Tony

[KenS]

Nice looking pen! I have a clean section on my keyboard from wiping the drool off of it I really enjoyed the photos of the pen and watch together.

Ken.

[rinellatony]

As an FYI if you missed it, here is the link (review) to the Girard Perregaux pen I kept referring to in this post.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=131306

 

Tony

[rinellatony]

Nice looking pen! I have a clean section on my keyboard from wiping the drool off of it I really enjoyed the photos of the pen and watch together.

Ken.

 

Thanks for the reply, I felt the same way when I first saw the pen!

 

Tony

[limesally]

even if I'm not a watch collector, nor really even a pen collector, I really enjoyed reading your review. Great series of pictures and I appreciated the background info to tie it in with Breguet watches, which I really know nothing about (except that I think Stephen Maturin, from the Patrick O'Brian novels, may have carried one).

 

Anyway, nice writing and pictures - I hope your pen eventually writes exactly the way you want it to, so your enjoyment of it is complete.

[tres]

Gorgeous pens! Thanks for both reviews and the great pictures.

[Pepin]

Now you need the F.P. Journe pen to complete the theme collection.

[diplomat]

Thank you, it's nice to dream...

 

The comparison shot with the watch features were very interesting.

 

Cheers,

[georges zaslavsky]

very nice and very original as well

[greencobra]

To say the least, beautiful pen. Glad you posted comparison photos of the watch too, nice job was done to capture the feeling of the timepiece. Wasn't too wild about the Girard Perregaux model, probably the clip on that one, but the color was fantastic. And I've never seen a more elaborate presentation, attractive boxes I thought.

[MYU]

Thanks for coming back to review the Breguet pen, after doing the GP. I really like the rugged but artful look of this pen. Sorry to hear it is so heavy... that can be a detriment for long writing periods. However, it is certainly a stunning pen to look at. I'm sure you'll be able to get your nib issues squared away so it performs just as well as the GP pen.

[kaisede]

nice pen and nice watch. Thanks for the review. I had no idea that Breguet makes pens.

 

Andy

[rinellatony]

Thanks for coming back to review the Breguet pen, after doing the GP. I really like the rugged but artful look of this pen. Sorry to hear it is so heavy... that can be a detriment for long writing periods. However, it is certainly a stunning pen to look at. I'm sure you'll be able to get your nib issues squared away so it performs just as well as the GP pen.

 

No problem, it was my pleasure to do both. I hope they where good reads! The weight of the Breguet doesn't bother me as I like a heavy pen and don't write for long periods of times. For others who like light pens then this may not be the pen for them.

 

Tony

[cakibler]

Love the review, Nice pens! Thanks for posting!!

Edited November 24, 2009 by cakibler

[MaqAttaq]

:bonk: Enough said. Great pens

[Ed Ronax]

Great looking pen and review, thanks.

[Toolattack]

Am very late to this review.

I agree totally with everything you say, the nib is the most disappointing part of a very nice pen. I have inked mine a couple of times (never filled it) and cannot get on with the nib at all. And I would agree that it is a heavy pen to write with, you need to have been pumping iron! But this pen is seriously beautiful and I don't regret buying it for a second.

[leod]

they should have made a Blued clip to match the Breguet hand, nice pen/watch combo btw

[Toolattack]

they should have made a Blued clip to match the Breguet hand, nice pen/watch combo btw

I agree, but I think if they had blued the clip the gemstome would not show up as well.