Waterman Registry
Catalog illustration

Waterman Catalog, archive.org [source]

Catalog illustration
Model 14 with fluted gold-filled overlay and hardstone cap seal, c. 1908
Model 14 with 18K solid gold fluted overlay and bloodstone seal, c. 1912
Model 14 with sterling silver smooth overlay and bloodstone seal, c. 1918
Model 0514 chased filigree gold-filled overlay, c. 1906

Waterman · c. 1894-1920s

Waterman 14

$50-200 (plain); $200-2000+ (overlay)
Eyedropper
Filling System Eyedropper
Nib 14k gold (#4, often extra-fine flex)
Material Hard rubber

Variants

ModelMaterialPriceNotes
0514 Gold-filled filigree overlay $200-500
414 Sterling silver trefoil filigree overlay $150-400
514 Solid 14k gold overlay $500-2000+
0504 Gold-filled hand-chased overlay
404 Sterling silver overlay $10-11 (1919 catalog)
504 Solid gold overlay $25-45 (1919 catalog)

What to Look For

Cone-cap eyedropper with medium #4 nib. Same as Model 12 but larger. Overlay numbering: 05xx = gold-filled, 4xx = sterling, 5xx = solid gold.

A medium-large Waterman cone-cap eyedropper with a #4 nib — the next size up from the ubiquitous Model 12.1

Construction

Made of hard rubber with a cone cap (larger than barrel, fits over it).1 The #4 nib is medium-sized by Waterman standards — larger than the common #2 (Model 12) but smaller than the #5 and above. Nibs on early models are often extra-fine flexible.2

Pricing (1919 Catalog)

The 1919 Waterman catalog lists the following prices for Model 14 variants:3

  • No. 14 plain or chased: $4.00
  • No. 0714 (one gold middle band): $5.00
  • No. 0614 (two gold bands): $5.00
  • Sterling silver overlays: $7.00-$11.00 (depending on pattern — Gothic, Filigree, Pansy Panel, Oriental)3
  • Solid gold overlay (514): $25.00-$45.003

European Variants

European market versions often feature ornate overlays with decorative cap seals. The vintagepens.com European catalog documents a Model 14 with 18K solid gold fluted overlay, French-hallmarked, with a bloodstone seal and applied crowned monogram (c. 1912),4 and another with sterling silver smooth overlay and bloodstone seal (c. 1918).4

Overlay Variants

The numbering system encodes overlay material in the hundreds digit:5 0504 (gold-filled hand-chased), 0514 (gold-filled filigree including the “Chased Filigree” and “POC” 1920s variants),6 404 (sterling silver), 414 (sterling trefoil filigree),2 514 (solid 14k gold).5

  1. David Nishimura, “Waterman Eyedroppers,” vintagepens.com. Link. ↩ ↩2

  2. Peyton Street Pens, “Waterman Pen Model Identifier: Early Eyedroppers.” Link. ↩ ↩2

  3. Waterman’s Ideal Fountain Pen catalog, 1919, pp. 31-37 (Regular Type). Internet Archive. Link. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  4. David Nishimura, “Vintage Pen Catalog: Waterman UK and European,” vintagepens.com. Link. ↩ ↩2

  5. David Nishimura, “Waterman Model Numbers,” vintagepens.com. Link. ↩ ↩2

  6. David Nishimura, “Waterman Overlay Patterns,” vintagepens.com. Link. ↩

Eyedropper Era