We live in a world where the products that surround us tend to change over time. Technological evolution, changes in trends or marketing needs drive this dynamic. Some products, however, have remained unchanged since their creation. One of the clearest examples to exemplify this reality is the pen. Bic Cristal created by Marcel Bich in 1950, a writing tool so perfect that it still retains its original design.
Bich was born in Italy in 1914, but within a few years his family moved first to Spain and then to France. In the latter country he served in World War II and at the age of 30 he partnered with Édouard Buffard to manufacture spare parts for fountain pens. Bich was convinced that the writing of that time lacked “perfection” and wanted to make his own product inspired by the ballpoint pen made in Argentina by the inventor Lazlo Biro.
The birth of Bic Cristal
The quest for perfection led this entrepreneur to buy the patent for the Biro pen. He then set out to create an improved alternative that would combine several factors: it had to offer a user-friendly experience, practical and fluent writing without its price skyrocketing. To achieve this, used Swiss watchmaking tools In designing his pen, YY also created an ink whose viscosity prevented several common problems such as leaks and blockages.
In 1950, Bic Cristal was born, a hexagonal plastic pen that imitated the design of a standard pencil. The tip of the pen, one of its most outstanding features, was made of stainless steel and allowed the writing experience that Bich had imagined. The product proved to be a success and in 1953 the company became Société BIC. The firm began to expand rapidly throughout the world thanks to its successful product. In 1955, it landed in Spain, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland.
By the early 1960s, Bic was present in North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. A little later, in the middle of the decade, it also reached Japan. The essence of the Bic Cristal pen remained intact, but the company introduced variants with a different ink colors, tip and design. It is currently sold in six types of tip and 18 colors in almost the entire planet. In addition, it boasts the title of the world’s best-selling pen.
As we can see in the images, the Bic Cristal pen has not only been a classic in the office or school for decades, but has also been used to provide a view to some contemporary works of art. The company has documented a collection of more than 250 pieces by artists who have used its most famous pen, as well as other of its products, to bring their ideas to life in a very particular way.
Images | Bic
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