Probably because of its similarity to pens like the 502 and 515, the Waterman W5 is almost always referred to as a nineteen forties pen but it’s actually a product of a second revamp of the post-war range in 1955, along with the W2 and W3.

It’s an understandable mistake because the differences are slight. As a replacement for the 515, it has exactly the same clip and lever. The size is pretty much the same and the main differences are that the 515’s single broad band has been replaced with a narrow/medium/narrow arrangement and the No 5 nib has now become the W5, with a slightly different profile. Though it may be subjective as I don’t have both models here to compare, I believe the W5 is a little lighter in the hand.

These pens appear to be the flagships of the English range, and this example is in a most attractive iridescent striated blue pattern. The still photo doesn’t show the oil-on-water effect of these changing colours as the pen is moved in sunlight. It’s a stunning pen visually and like all Watermans it has a delightful nib, smooth and with a hint of line variation.