For this month, we've put together a few images of one of Waterman's overlay pens. Unlike many of the sterling silver Waterman overlays commonly seen, this piece is from the late 1930s, and possibly as late as the early 1940s. It is one of the last filigree style overlays Waterman produced.

This can be seen in the style of the overlay design, it's moved from the more flowing, floral designs popular in the 1920s to a more "art deco" style. This is helped along by the slightly tapered shape of the underlaying pen, and the whole is topped off with a much more streamlined clip than the plain riveted style used on earlier Waterman pens.

While this overlay design is referred to in Waterman catalogs of the period as simply "Filagree", it is commonly known to modern collectors as "Basketweave". These 492 and 494 series Waterman overlay pens are highly sought after by collectors today, and command a substantial premium in price over a similarly sized earlier overlay.

We would like to thank Roger Cromwell and Penopoly for the opportunity to photograph this Waterman set.

BACK TO CONTENTS

 

copyright 2005 William Riepl