Pilot opened a branch in London in 1926, and it was around this time that Alfred Dunhill, designated supplier to the English royal family, was building up a positive reputation amongst royalty and nobility throughout Europe as a supplier of world-class premium tobacco and smoking accessories. Dunhill admired the Pilot's management philosophy of taking full responsibility at every stage of their product life cycle, and recognized the stunning beauty and superior quality of maki-e fountain pens. This culminated in the birth of the Dunhill-Namiki brand in 1927 with a contract for sales rights in France signed at Dunhill's Paris store. This was followed by an exclusive distributor license for the all of Europe in 1930, and an immense boost to worldwide recognition of Pilot's maki-e fountain pens. Show Less