Waterman Patrician

The Waterman Patrician is Waterman’s first celluloid fountain pen and their most prestigious model of the early 1930s — a large, colorful pen in striking Art Deco colors, introduced in 1929 as a direct response to Parker’s Duofold.¹

History

By the late 1920s, Waterman was losing ground to Parker, whose colorful Duofold had proven that customers would pay premium prices for pens that weren’t plain black.¹ The Patrician was Waterman’s belated answer — their first pen in celluloid rather than the traditional hard rubber.¹ Introduced in 1929, it was priced at $10 (roughly $175 in today’s money).² Unfortunately, the timing was catastrophic: the Great Depression hit weeks after its launch, and few customers could justify a luxury pen purchase.¹ Limited sales during the Depression make surviving Patricians rare and valuable today.¹

Design & Construction

The Patrician is a large pen with a distinctive, modern profile and a lever-filling mechanism.² The 1933 Waterman catalog calls it “the world’s very finest and most beautiful fountain pen for men — a triumph of nearly a half century of Waterman’s achievement.”² It features an over-size point “especially hand-crafted for this very finest of Waterman’s.”²

The pen’s most distinctive feature is the Keyhole nib — named for its keyhole-shaped breather hole — which writes beautifully with a wet, smooth line.³

Colors

The 1933 catalog shows six colors, all priced at $10:²

• Moss Agate — green and brown swirled celluloid (gold-filled mountings)
• Onyx — black with red veining (gold-filled mountings)
• Jet — solid black (chromium mountings)
• Emerald — translucent green (gold-filled mountings)
• Nacre — pearl/grey with black marbling (chromium mountings)
• Turquoise — blue with multicolored flecks (gold-filled mountings)

Of these, Turquoise and Emerald are the most sought-after by collectors.⁴

Lady Patricia

The Lady Patricia was the smaller companion pen, designed for women at $5.² The 1933 catalog describes it as “designed expressly for the woman who demands not only a perfect writing instrument but one attractive enough to be used as an accessory for her handbag.”² Available in the same six colors as the Patrician, with the addition of Persian (blue/yellow/green mosaic pattern).² By 1936, Lady Patricia Ink-Vue variants were offered in Black Lace, Sunset, and Mist patterns at $5.⁵

Identification

Look for celluloid construction in one of the six Patrician colors.³ Check the lever slot area for cracks — celluloid is prone to cracking there.⁶ The Keyhole nib is distinctive and should be marked “Waterman’s Ideal.”³ Due to the Patrician’s value, reproductions exist — verify the celluloid pattern, nib markings, and barrel imprint carefully.

Market Value

Patricians currently sell for between $300 and $1,500+ depending on color and condition.⁷ Exceptional examples in rare colors (Turquoise, Emerald) that are not discolored can command even higher prices.⁷ The pen’s short production run (1929-1934), premium positioning, and Depression-era timing conspire to make it one of the most collectible American fountain pens.