1922
A Nib
born in 1922
Karl Räuchle senior founded the DIPLOMAT brand in March 1922 in Hennef, Germany.
From the outset, the company has stood out for the precision of its writing instruments and an attention to detail that borders on goldsmithing. At a time when writing is an everyday art, DIPLOMAT has chosen to design exceptional pens that combine functionality with timeless elegance.
1935
A family
affair
The Kurz family took over the majority of the company's shares and decided to develop their production facilities by manufacturing piston fountain pens and mechanical pencils.
Sales will now be handled by Hennefer Kurz & Räuchle.
A modern business sense
Rich, refined marketing tools
Karl Räuchle Jr, in charge of sales and brand image, paid as much attention to marketing materials as he did to the quality of his pens.
An everyday object
The press as
favourite media
What better way to convey the values of an everyday product than through a daily medium?
DIPLOMAT knows how to handle the art of communication, and shows it off in ever more unusual ways.
50's
The revival
through innovation
From the early 1950s onwards, new developments were marketed.
The development of the first retractable ballpen produced in-house, the 95 S, created a sensation.
The first school fountain pen with a cartridge was produced in 1958.
A permanent dynamic
Modern ranges
and innovative
The retractable ballpen remains the brand's flagship product, and it's capitalising on this trend with the launch of its first metal 4-colour retractable ballpen.
70's
Avant-gardism
as a requirement
From the 50s to the 80s, DIPLOMAT strengthened its foothold in Europe, becoming a respected name among connoisseurs. The craftsmen perpetuated their precise gestures, ensuring consistent quality despite increasing mechanisation.
Throughout the 20th century, DIPLOMAT lived through major industrial and cultural changes without ever losing sight of its roots.
While fashions change and technology takes hold, the brand maintains its high standards: each pen must be designed as a durable object that is both reliable and aesthetically pleasing.
Diplomat launched its first watch pen in 1983:
1977
Unique style
by John E. Knox
In 1977, this leading designer of the 60s and 70s brought a new vision to the brand and to the many models that would follow.
from this collaboration.
Some of his creations are now exhibited in many European modern art museums.
Reinventing yourself with new ideas
1984-1985
This year marks a turning point in tenchology and marketing.
Diplomat is reinventing itself thanks to a host of new features and intelligent storytelling that anchors these new ranges in their time.
90's
The Magnum
Magnum
was launched in 1996, enabling Diplomat to penetrate the intermediate fountain pen market.
Renowned for its metal bodies, Diplomat now offers an alternative with an injected plastic body, a visible ink level and an ergonomic grip.
XXIst
2000'S
A new era
A new production site in Cunewalde, Germany, a new graphic identity, a brand takeover, patent registration, range modernisation, international distribution... these are just some of the major milestones that have made DIPLOMAT a key player in top-of-the-range writing.
2001
Germany's birthplace
Cunewalde
In 2001, DIPLOMAT set up its new production site in Cunewalde, in north-east Germany, in the former Erlenweg engine factory.
2016
New management
New perspectives
In 2016, Mathias and Marcel Ringeard, French entrepreneurs with in-depth knowledge of the European writing market, bought DIPLOMAT.
Exporting will be their first mission: new markets are opening up in Asia and Europe, and significant development in the United States will put DIPLOMAT on the map worldwide.
2017
Letting emotions speak for themselves
"Links your emotions
The link between the music composer and the music lover ... The interior decorator and the design enthusiast ...
2020
ZEPP
Back to the future
This pen, made up of around fifty parts and assembled entirely by hand, was the first of its kind.
produced in a limited edition of 500.
Its oblong faceted structure is reminiscent of the shape of the zeppelin, a mythical airship built in the 19th century.
German.
2022
Innovations and patents
research and development.
This brand new range incorporates a
unique patented leak-proof closure.
It also offers unprecedented ink capacity, as the ink is filled directly into the barrel of the style using a filling pipette supplied with the pen.
