In 2003 Acme Studio collaborated with the French designer Andrée Putnam to create a pen for a new design range to be called Phase 3, a collaboration between Acme and a number of prominent designers.
The pen was called by Putnam “Milk Way” (“The Milky Way”). Just six prototypes were made using a combination of screen printing and heat transfer to apply the design onto the brass cap and barrel. The cap has a Swarovski Crystal to represent the sparkling stars of the Milky Way. The pen was not put into production (cost?) and this is the only prototype that was sold by Acme. So it is unique as a pen available to collectors. The pen has a brushed steel clip and a large steel nib marked “Iridium Point Germany”, a smooth medium point. It takes industry- standard (short) ink cartridges, including those by Diamine. It is a substantial pen at 15.2cm.

From the Acme Studio Archival Description
This is one of the very early Phase 3 designs that was submitted to us that didn't make it to production. Only samples of this were ever made. Designed by Andrée Putman has a few unique features. The cap and barrel feature both heat transfer, which is a method of using a printed image on the pen and screen printing. This is the first pen we've done that combines both. Also, the top of the cap features a Swarovski crystal, meant to evoke the sparkling of the stars in the Milky Way. Very few of this pen were ever made and this is the ONLY one that will ever be available for sale.
Quantity Made: 6 Year Made: 2003

Andrée Putnam was born in Paris in 1925 and died in 2013. She established the StudioPutnam in 1997 and was best known for her interior designs for houses, concept stores, hotels etc. She received many awards and honours from her own and other countries, including the Légion d’honour. StudioPutnam continues her design work under her daughter, Olivia Putnam.

Acme Studio is a design studio founded in 1985 to work with designers, artists and architects to produce a editions of writing instruments and jewellery. The first writing instruments were designed and released in 1997 with Frank Lloyd Wright, Piet Mondrian, Michael Graves, Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf and others. Their designs are in the permanent collections of
, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Brooklyn, NY
• The Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
• Groninger Museum of Art, Groningen, The Netherlands
• Houston Museum of Art, Houston, TX
• Frankfurt Museum of Decorative Arts, Frankfurt, Germany
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, NY
• Pompidou Centre, Paris, France
• Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH
• California Surf Museum, Oceanside, CA

Price: reduced to £225 ($299, €280) ….. plus postage
Postage:
UK Special Delivery: £7.75
Europe tracked airmail: £11 (€14)
US & Canada tracked airmail: £15 ($21)
Asia, Australia & New Zealand tracked airmail: £14
Payment: PayPal please to: barrie51@icloud.com