WRITTEN IN THE STARS

A new collaboration updates the traditional writing instrument by taking it into space.

Thanks to visionaries like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, private space travel seems like a not-toodistant possibility. In the meantime, would-be space travellers can feed their fascination with what lies beyond our planet via a new collaboration between avantgarde independent watch brand MB&F and premium penmaker Caran d’Ache.

Comprising 99 parts and requiring more than 500 manual operations to build, the Astrograph is a rhodiumplated fountain pen designed to resemble a space rocket. Flicking a lever on the pen lowers three metal legs that form its “landing gear”. The nib is made from 18K gold and plated with rhodium, although a roller-pen version is available as well.

A brilliant bonus: The pen comes with a tiny magnetic astronaut that can be tacked anywhere on it. And because it’s better displayed rather than kept in a shirt pocket, the US$19,900 (S$27,600) satin-finished instrument comes with a nifty launch pad.