The Tourbillon Open Side roller, with lateral views

It's something of a vixen. In its current evolution, the transparency of its body has now reached its flanks, not just the top part, as was the case for earlier models. The playful spirit and feeling of perpetual motion put it in the same family – to be expected given the identifying features – as the many accessories of the watchmaking community that have become the signature of the Genevan brand TF Est. 1968.  

Bare micro-engineering and leather

Thus, to the great joy of aficionados of watchmaking and unusual writing implements, the Tourbillon Open Side pen continues to reveal – in the style of a genuine manufacture – the authentic gearwheels of a fragment of a watch's movement. And this time, the pen does so not only on its upper tip, but also from the sides, as it were, on the upper lateral section. The mechanism is visible through a sapphire crystal, ultra-resistant and scratchproof.

A band of embossed crocodile leather covers the upper section, which adds to the grip comfort and produces the wonderful haptic feel of a noble and sensual material. The X stitching, inspired by the greatest French saddle-maker, hides away discreetly under a clip, whose robustness and suppleness are characteristic of the TF Est. 1968 brand,   the Schmidt system that connoisseurs value so highly. This venerable attachment system will last forever. It is made up of 58 parts, giving an elasticity that prevents breaking.  Its polished finishing avoids damage to pockets, lapels of fine shirts or jackets made of delicate materials. 

Trendy colors, weapon of mass seduction

The mechanism pushes out the nib by turning the body of the pen. It is compatible with all the regular refills on the market.  Each Tourbillon Open Side roller is numbered. And each one belongs to a color family that combines contrasts with esthetic exactitude. For instance, the rose gold hue, the product of the finest type of plating, melds with brown leather. The steel or gun-metal hue, a matt surface tending towards all-black with an industrial countenance, plays around with black leather. 

The 2014 version of the Tourbillon Open Side is soft to the touch, loves to be caressed, attractive to the hand, and makes writing flow. It still rests in its noble casing, a start of, or a link in, a chain made up of an endless choice of cufflinks, key chains, or other writing implements of an horological nature, and all branded TF Est. 1968, a brand that is trending in the world of luxury. It has reached the four corners of the globe in record time an also manufacture a series of watches, the T-Fun, made almost as a side job. 

Accessories by TF Est. 1968: in full flight

Freddy Tschumi, brand founder, helped develop numerous high-end watch brands before setting out on his own account. His initials, T and F form a logo together with his year of birth and the well-known abbreviation "Est.," meaning "established," of course. The watch-themed Tourbillon cufflinks were an instant hit worldwide. In less than five years, they put this paragon of Swiss quality manufacturing onto the display shelves of watch retailers at the best locations.

Thanks to their large variety of models and materials, these items are – at the time of writing – a commercial success. And furthermore, they can be paired with other elegant accessories, like writing implements or key chains. This could be the start of some acute collectionitis…