Secret Journey I Voltaire Fountain Pen - 18th century

"I owe my happiest days to this city"

Travelling back to the 18th century on the northern shore of the lake, we discover the city of Lausanne in the company of Voltaire. The first part of the trilogy, Secret Journey I, showed the story of an author who, captivated by Lausanne, wrote "I owe my happiest hours to this city." Secret Journey I honours this era and the dominant figure in the Century of Light with these magnificent writing instruments – 300 fountain pens with 30 included in the Secret Journey Trilogy- which every detail reveals a little bit of the personality of this recognized and iconic writer. The enjoyable time Voltaire spent in Lausanne is immortalised in a quotation ingeniously concealed on the body of the pen. Also hidden away is a diamond, symbolising the principles defended by Voltaire during the Century of Light. It indicates the city of Lausanne on an 18th century map of Lac Léman executed in fine engravings and subtle images in black lacquer on the silver-plated, platinum-coated body of the pen.

Caran d'Ache Secret Journey I Voltaire Fountain Pen

Black lacquer and silver-plated, platinum-coated body

18 carat gold nib coated with platinum

Body decorated with a Top Wesselton brilliant-cut diamond of 0.06 carats

Platinum-coated piston pump with a Top Wesselton brilliant-cut diamond of 0.03 carats

Special feature: 30 fountain pens available in the trilogy version

The Secret Journey I writing instruments – 300 fountain pens and 150 roller pens - are entirely manufactured in the company’s Geneva workshops.

Silver-plated and coated with platinum, they are dazzling incarnations of Caran d’Ache expertise.

Platinum, a precious grey-white metal, ensures that the pen retains its sheen over the years. This noble metal, highly resistant to corrosion and oxidation as well as scratching and tarnishing, is widely used in jewellery and is ideal for protecting Caran d’Ache writing instruments.

Parts of the pen are subtly engraved, both on the surface and in depth, then delicately enhanced with black lacquer to pick out the details of the plains, rivers and famous mountain landscapes.

A Top Wesselton VVS diamond of 0.06 carats, marking the city of Lausanne, crowns the body of the pen which also contains the words spoken by Voltaire. Until the special mechanism is operated manually, the secret phrase is covered by the famous engraved pattern from the world of watch making: "Côtes de Genève".

The silver-plated tip of the fountain penis coated in platinum and personalised by a guillochage that is repeated on the piston pump. The pump is crowned with a diamond of 0.03 carats. The "Secret Journey 1" fountain pen can also be used with Caran d’Ache cartridges.

Carefully designed to match the writing instruments, the 18-carat gold nibs are coated in platinum and finely engraved with the points of the compass. They are available in three widths: Fine, Medium and Large.

Lastly, the ring is stamped with the Caran d’Ache master craftsman’s mark. Each writing instrument is individually numbered: 1 to 300 for the fountain pens and 1 to 150 for the roller pens.

These exclusive pieces are presented in a sumptuous black lacquer box carrying a representation of the Lausanne region. The fountain pen case includes a superb inkwell: a raw glass bottle with a silver-plated cap engraved with the Caran d’Ache monogram. It contains Blue Night ink, one of the "Colours of the Earth" collection inks created by Caran d’Ache, specially chosen for this marvellous Limited Edition.

gold and personalized with guillochage. The same decoration appears on the piston pump which is plated in rose gold and crowned by a 0.04-carat ruby.

The roller pens are fitted with a Caran d’Ache roller point cartridge.

These exclusive pens are presented in a luxurious black lacquer box decorated with a drawing of the Geneva area at the time of Chateaubriand’s visit.

Ref:1615.481 Fountain Pen

Ref:1625.481 Roller Pen