By Bill Riepl
One of S.T. Dupont's most notable lacquer designs has always been the Vertigo. A bold, striking design consisting of squares formed from softly contrasting colors of red and blue, the Vertigo has been a popular version of the Orpheo since it was first introduced. When word came that Dupont was planning on launching a new version of this classic, speculation ran rampant. It's nice to be able to report that the Vertigo II more than lives up to any amount of expectation!
To
begin with what remains the same; the lacquer itself. Sticking with
a tried and true formula, Dupont has continued to work with the best
natural Chinese lacquer when producing their pens, and the Vertigo II
is no exception. Pick one up and you are immediately struck by the lustrous
finish of the lacquer itself. It practically glows. Holding the pen
for a short while only improves things, as the natural lacquer warms
to the touch, making writing with a Dupont lacquer pen an intensely
tactile experience.
The new design is at the same time close to the original, while still being enough of a departure to prevent this from being just a "re-hash" of a previous success. The color scheme used remains the same, with soft contrast between the dark and light red-orange colors, set off with what looks almost like dark indigo lines between the shapes. Instead of squares, however, the shapes have been angled, and stretched into an elegant diamond pattern.
It's all down to personal taste, of course, but I quite like the new design compared to the old style. I was always one of those who just didn't "get it" with the original Vertigo. I loved the colors, and the lacquer, of course, but the squares just didn't work for me... Well, problem solved!
I now have a new Orpheo design to lust after.
The Orpheo is one of those pens that really doesn't get the attention that it should. It's very well designed from a usability standpoint, weighty, but not unduly heavy, and with a cap that both clicks on securely, as well as posts snugly well down on the barrel. Balance is excellent even with the cap posted, and the Orpheo is one pen I use almost exclusively with the cap posted.
The new Vertigo II is not going to be an "easy" pen to get your hands on. They made this pen in an edition size small enough to ensure that it's likely to sell out. Only 400 fountain pens, and another 400 rollerballs were made. That's not what you would call a large edition, especially given the popularity of the Orpheo in general, and specifically of the previous Vertigo pattern pens.
From
what I have been told, the Vertigo II has already sold out from the
distributor, so if you see on in your local shop, it might be a good
idea to grab it while you can. They won't be able to just order you
another one! With a list price of $895, this is not an inexpensive
pen, but it does fall in line with other Dupont lacquer pens, and given
the very limited number made, I don't think it would be considered to
be a risky buy, even if you considered it as an investment.
Consider it as a pen, and you've got an even better deal. It's a lot of style and quality. On top of that, it has the legendary S.T. Dupont writing characteristics that have made the Orpheo such a favorite among pen lovers and users since it's introduction. With a combination like that, it's hard to see how the Vertigo II can go wrong.
copyright 2006 William Riepl
Images copyright 2005 William Riepl