When we last looked at the collaboration between American “heritage” brands Esterbrook and Accutron, it was limited to a special edition Esterbrook Camden fountain pen in a gorgeous green shade. Recently, Esterbrook and Accutron have followed up with two new limited edition Estie fountain pens in green and gold DiamondCast material, in both standard and oversized versions. All feature details such as the Accutron “tuning fork” logo on the cap and nib that set these pens apart from the standard Esterbrook lineup.
To recap a bit from my previous post, the “Accutron” brand was first associated with a line of watches manufactured by Bulova, and recently relaunched as a separate company by the Citizen Group. You can read more about both vintage and modern Accutron watches on dedicated watch sites such as Hodinkee, and the story behind the development of the technology is fascinating. Short version: Accutron watches bridged the gap between traditional mechanical watches and modern quartz watches, introducing a unique “tuning fork” movement that was one of the first mass-market electronic watches available. Esterbrook distributor Kenro and Accutron were kind enough to send me the modern Accutron “Spaceview” watch pictured here, so that I could get a sense of the current company’s aesthetic and how it complements the limited edition Esterbrook pens. I won’t do a full watch review, since that steps out side my area of expertise, but I did enjoy wearing the watch for a few days, and if you enjoy the Accutron look, I’d encourage you to read the full Hodinkee write-up of the Spaceview 2020 here.
My First Experience with the Oversized Estie
This particular post will focus on one of the two pens I was sent for review: the Accutron x Esterbrook Oversized Estie, which - believe it or not - I’ve never had the opportunity to test for an extended period of time. I’ve always though I would remain partial to the “standard” size Estie fountain pen, since (1) it’s quite comfortable and nearly the perfect size for me; and (2) it posts, which can be important given how/where I do much of my daily writing. That said, after having a few weeks to test out the oversized version, I’m beginning to reconsider.
Here’s what I enjoy about the Oversized Estie:
This pen has fantastic balance. While the standard Estie is extremely comfortable to use, the Oversized pen is perfectly weighted for unposted use, and even though it’s a big pen, you don’t notice the size. I would compare the overall length and proportions to a slightly slimmer Opus 88 Jazz.
JoWo 18k nibs are among my favorite stock nib units. I’ve had several JoWo 18k gold nibs in my collection over the years, and they never fail to disappoint. This medium nib arrived perfectly tuned, and I’ve not experienced any issues with skipping or hard-starting.
The larger pen body is the perfect canvas for showcasing the DiamondCast material. If you’re unfamiliar with “DiamondCast”, it’s a material made by McKenzie Penworks in here in Tennessee, which features a mixture of alumilite, pigment and real diamond dust. You can read more on the McKenzie Penworks website.
If there’s anything that I don’t enjoy about the Estie Oversized, it would be the metal threads on the barrel, which, in my opinion, somewhat disrupts the streamlined design of the pen. At the same time, the threads are not sharp at all, so they don’t interfere with a comfortable grip, and the added bit of metal front-weights the pen which likely contributes to the excellent balance I noted above. Taken as a whole, this is an aesthetic preference for me that at the end of the day, won’t prevent me from adding an Oversized Estie to my collection.
The Accutron “Tuning Fork” logo dates back to the “tuning fork movement” used in vintage Accutron watches.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
Unlike the Camden, which was available only from select Accutron watch retailers, the new Esterbrook x Accutron Diamondcast Esties pictured here are also available through most major Esterbrook pen retailers. Like other Esties made from Diamondcast material, the price point is higher than standard Estie fountain pens, with the standard model bearing an MSRP of $395 / $316 retail, and the oversized priced at $750 MSRP / $675 retail. (The Oversized version comes only with a 18k JoWo Nib.) If you’re a fan of this green and gold Diamondcast material, or looking for an Accutron-branded Estie to match a recent watch purchase, I’d act quickly because these pens are part of a limited edition series and won’t be around forever. In fact, they’re already sold out at some retailers.
The Esterbrook x Accutron Estie Oversize pens are numbered in an edition of 100.
On a more general note, count me a fan of the Estie Oversized! I’m already looking for the perfect model to add to the permanent rotation, and strongly considering one of the “Nouveau Bleu” models with the gold trim, perhaps adding a “Scribe” specialty nib.
Many thanks to Esterbrook and Kenro Industries for making this review possible. This post does not contain affiliate links, nor was I compensated for this review. All products shown here were lent to The Gentleman Stationer for review purposes and returned afterwards.
