News: MB&F Astrograph
We quite enjoy horological madhouse MB&F's partnerships, which see master craftsman of other trades bring to life the wild imagination of MB&F founder Max Büsser. This time it's Maison Caran d'Ache and its exquisite pens that get branded with a touch of the MB&F crazy. You could be forgiven for being cynical about the idea of a cross-branded limited edition pen, and normally that cynicism would be well-placed, but with the Astrograph, seeing is believing.
The pen, rhodium or ruthenium anthracite plated, has three legs that can be deployed to stand it upright on its launchpad display box, while a rhodium plated astronaut with an embedded magnet can be attached for added astro-authenticity. Engineering fans will love the small pistons that extend into the legs as they deploy. A small ladder completes the practical side of this study on rocketry, without which the astronaut would surely be faced with a Watney-esque bid for survival.
The pen itself—yes, there is actually one in there—is extracted via the cockpit. Unscrew the windowed tip and the fountain pen is released, finished in matching rhodium or ruthenium anthracite. The pen is powered by an ink pump, and can be used with cartridges too, while the nib is M-sized and fashioned from rhodium plated white gold. Other nib sizes are available on request.
This is one close encounter we're going to remember for a while, and is sure to bring out the kid in anyone who sees or owns one. In the true childlike spirit of this pen, the rest of the article will simply be pictures:
