WatermanExpert Rollerball Pen, Gloss Black with 23k Gold Trim, Fine Point, Black Ink, Luxury Pen in Gift Box, Great Gift for Coworker

I've had probably a dozen of these Expert black with gold trim rollerball pens over 20 years, typically buying 2-3 at a time since I seem to lose one every year or two. Mont Blancs just seem too old-fashioned and snobby to me. I first saw a doctor writing with an Expert 2o years ago, and it looked so handsome I knew this would be my signature pen forever. "Handsome" is the right word since this pen is "masculine" in size. It's 5 1/2" long closed, 6" long opened, and 1/2" in diameter, so it's not for tiny hands or those who like light pens. For those, the Waterman slimmer "Perspective" or "Exception" or "Hemisphere" collections may be more appropriate. It operates like a fountain pen - you pull off the cap (top part in picture) and click it down onto the base (bottom part in picture) to write. You unscrew the two bottom parts to put in a refill.Expert: "Expert" is one of ten 10 Waterman pen collections. "Charleston" is the next closest in style if you want to compare an alternative. There are 3 generations of Experts. The 1st generation ("Expert I") in the '90s had a plastic barrel and a "W" on the gold top insert. The 2nd generation (Expert II 2002-2011) went with a brass barrel (much better) - you'll know it's brass if you get a good scratch on it - and no "W". The 3rd generation (2012+) only made a small change to the middle gold ring, which is how you can tell the 3rd generation from the 2nd. The 2nd generation middle had two thin gold rings embracing a larger black section with "Waterman Paris" in gold on it. The 3rd generation upper gold ring is thicker than the bottom one, and the "Waterman Paris" is embossed on that gold ring instead of the black barrel in the middle of the rings. So the picture shown is the current generation. You'll see "Expert II" and "Expert III" in descriptions, but "Expert II" is often used for the current generation also, so go by the look of the middle barrel rings.Color: The "GT" and "CT" in the descriptions mean "Gold Trim" or "Chrome Trim" respectively, i.e., the clip, top end, and rings around the barrel. So you can get the exact style above with Chrome trim instead of Gold if you prefer. But if you want a barrel color other than black, you have to go with one of the Stainless Steel or Chrome Trim variations.Rollerball: Like most all their collections, the Expert comes in fountain, ballpoint or rollerball versions. I like the convenience of rollerball vs. fountain and the feel of rollerball vs. ballpoint, so rollerball is my pick. Rollerballs use liquid ink that almost "wicks" out onto the paper, while ballpoints use a different "waxy" ink that you have to "push" out. This is why: 1) rollerballs feel smoother writing; 2) rollerballs often have a cap to prevent the tip from drying out; 3) rollerball refills come with a little wax seal on their tip you have to knock off.Ink: Waterman rollerball refills come in Fine or Medium and Black or Blue. My most recent ones came with Fine black ink. "Fine" is usually too scratchy and thin for me, but these write almost like a Medium ... very similar to Pilot G2 pens. Speaking of that, you can pay $7 for Waterman refills, or just buy Pilot G2 rollerball pens for $1 and pull out their refills like I do ... they fit perfectly and I can tell no difference in writing quality. Plus you can then get the G2 ink in any color you want, not just black or blue. Or you can look up Monteverde or Schmidt refills for a few bucks less that are what Waterman and others rebrand. 4 1/4 - 4 3/8 long refills. Uniquely, Schmidt has a Broad point version in addition to Fine and Medium.Pencil: There is no matching pencil or rollerball-pen-and-pencil set for the Expert in this style. There is a ballpoint-pen-and-pencil Expert set, but the ballpoint version is less stylish as it doesn't have the gold rings and undulations towards the tip. So if you want a matching set, you have to go with the ballpoint for the pen. If you're ok with a somewhat-matching pencil, you can find the ballpoint-style version online searching under "Waterman S0951720". I don't think Waterman sells even these separately ... I think vendors just break up the ballpoint-pen-and-pencil sets.Personalization: You can buy these from a seller who also personalizes them. "Personalization" can be: 1) a gold imprint on the side (like your signature maybe); 2) an engraved emblem or monogram on the gold clip or the gold top. Not cheap ... probably another $100.Warranty: I can find no difference between the non-US/Canada "International" warranty and the US/Canada "Limited" warranty. Both are 3 year repair-or-replace for defects. You pay to send it in, they pay to send it back. If you register your pen at waterman.com you get an extra 2 years. The dealer "proof of purchase certification stamp" on the warranty paper is a kind of "snobby" thing they stamp on it if you buy it from a fancy pen store. You probably won't get a stamp on your warranty slip if you buy online anyway, but you don't need it - all you need is your purchase receipt for warranty issues. Oddly, repairs are handled in the US/Canada by Newell Rubbermaid (yep, that Rubbermaid).Problems: They're not perfect. I've found 3 things can happen over the years: 1) the oval gold piece on top can come off (just super-glue it back on); 2) if the barrel gets scratched, the scratch will show the brass underneath (appropriately not a warranty issue); 3) the middle ring can come off (tape off the barrel so you don't get glue on it and glue it back on with the very t-i-n-i-e-s-t bit of non-superglue). But I still love 'em.

very nice to write with

I am very happy with the pen. Excellent writing experience.

This is my first Waterman pen, and as an owner of 3 Mont Blanc pens, the Waterman Expert is by far a better deal for those looking for a real luxury writing instrument for under $100.00! While I mainly write exclusivly with a Mont Blanc Meisterstruck 145 fountain pen, i found that it was somewhat of a bother to carry around an ink bottle, so a few years ago i purchased a Mont Blanc Meisterstruck 164 rollerball pen, which really emulates the personal writing flair of a fountain pen without the need to carry around your ink bottle in case your ink runs out. I was compleatly happy using my Mont Blanc 164 and would never consider buying a new pen, until i had used a collegues Waterman Expert when i had forgotten my Mont Blanc at home on one occasion.The Smoothness of the fine point nib is remarkable. The Expert is a full sized rollerbal pen and the weight and balance of the pen is what gives it that fluid feel while writing. I have written with a few other Waterman pens, and for me the Expert is the perfect pen for my hand! The ink flows rich and precise, exactly the way you would expect when writing with a fountain pen, and even though i am using a fine point nib, if i want to add a bolder thick touch all i need to is add a small amount of pressure and viola you are now writing thicker lines. The main reason i choose the Waterman Expert is because Waterman also offers an extra fine nib that gives their pens an additional measure of precission that Mont Blanc doesn't offer. While you can buy Monteverde or Schmidt extra fine rollerball ink refills, i feel that the Waterman refills are a far better choice for thier pens. I use Monteverde fine point rollerball ink refills for my older Mont Blanc Meisterstruck 163 ballpoint pen and they are perfect, but the Monteverde refills for Waterman pens jiust don't feel as smooth as the Waterman ink tubes do, so i will stick with Waterman extra fine refills for my Waterman Expert.With a price tag around $90.00 you can not go wrong choosing the Waterman Expert if you are looking for a true luxury writing instrument without spending more than $100.00 I know there are many other pen manufactures on the market who offer a similar wrting experience, and for less that the price of the Waterman Expert, but in my opinon, i have not found a pen that matches the comfort along with rich and precise writing like the Expert does, so my investment was well worth it, and when you buy a Waterman pen you are also buying quality, and craftmanshiop that has very few equals!

Great gift!!!!

A few weeks ago I decided I would begin writing after a lengthy hiatus. As a gift to myself, I felt I deserved a proper writing instrument that would inspire me to write on a daily basis. After all these years and stacks of journals scrawled with paper mates or whatever I could get my hands on, I simply didn’t know what I was missing.The weight and grip is perfect. And when the pen cap snaps on, it’s just the right length. At an angle, the rollerball occasionally feels a little “scratchy”. That’s the only reason why I gave it four stars. Aside from the aforementioned, the ink effortlessly flows onto the page, which is a grand departure from store bought bulk pens. I love it and there’s no going back now.Update - 7/13/23It’s been roughly a month and I’ve filled pages with this workhorse. Today was the only day I noticed the ink might be running out which is a month of everyday morning use. Who knew a pen could inspire everyday consistency?