Parnis

A place to discuss other watch-brands
colincward1
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2010 7:31 pm

Parnis

Post by colincward1 »

Hi, does anyone own a Parnis watch?
I quite fancy buying one to have in the collection, but am worried that the price tag will show in the quality.
i obvsiouly dont expect them to be as well made as CW, but are they reasonably well made?
Thanks
User avatar
village
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 5554
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:10 pm
CW-watches: 4
Location: any further South and my feet would be wet...

Re: Parnis

Post by village »

Enter Ian,stage left..... :)


I haven't got one or owned one but they are generally well thought of by those that do....one thing that seems to get mentioned a lot is that the rotors tend to be quite noisy.
Ianblyth is your man...he's got/had quite a few!
If you can read this you are too close to your computer screen....
User avatar
ianblyth
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 10940
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 10:17 pm
CW-watches: 19
LE-two: yes
LE-three: yes
LE-foura: yes
LE-five: Yes
LE-six: Yes
Location: Wokingham, UK

Re: Parnis

Post by ianblyth »

I do have a few. 6 to be precise as I sold a few that I was not keen on. The case is made from 316L just like the good watches but the glass is mineral rather than sapphire although you can get some with sapphire. The straps are usually poor or at best are OK and you can live with it but I would budget for a new strap. I have a few on Toshi straps and it makes them look really expensive. They are incredibly good value and look good. You would not guess that they were that price - especially with a good strap. They tend to be on the large size 43mm upwards. I would recomend them. An automatic for less than the price of servicing an auto! :shock:

Plain simple 43mm black dial.
Image

Sold this one as it was a hand wind and could not get on with it. I would have kept it if it was an automatic.
Image

Image

Lovely homage of a PAM diver and klooking good with Toshi tobacco leather with emerald green stitching.
Image

Another PAM tribute and this time with a really nice strap from SouthernCross. I like this one.
Image

All black pilot style like IWC and with power reserve. A great looking watch but too big for me at 47mm so I sold it.
Image

Another PAM homage with power reserve. This one is accurate to 1 sec per day.
Image

Unusual method for changing the strap.
Image

And this is done in the PAM Radomir style.
Image

Image

And the popular and classic IWC Portuguese homage.
Image

Image

On a blue strap from TSS
Image

On a Maratac
Image

On steel (from TSS)
Image

On a blue Toshi
Image
"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." Anais Nin
User avatar
Monkey
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 4573
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 7:48 pm
CW-watches: 7
LE-two: yes
Location: Surrey

Re: Parnis

Post by Monkey »

I've got these two.....the black dial one bought new for about 50 quid, the other is 'new', but bought as 2nd hand/used from a seller in the UK for only about £23 :D

As for build quality, well, they seem pretty well put together, have nice dials etc. The rotor on the auto is a tad noisy, but I'd imagine a bit of lubrication 'may' sort that out, but I don't really find it noticable. The other is a manual wind that winds up nice and smoothly, and looks pretty good imo, especially considering what I paid :)

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
John
User avatar
jmarchitect
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 4420
Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2010 7:00 pm
CW-watches: 3
Location: sunny south coast, UK

Re: Parnis

Post by jmarchitect »

Hi colincward. I have heard good and bad things about parnis watches. The negative points always relate to the straps and the noisy rotor although I have also read on other forums that they are not to be touched as the build quality will always let them down after a few years. However, given that they can be picked up for not a lot of cash, they represent a sensible purchase if, like me, you love watches and love rotating between several different styles depending on what takes your fancy. I have never gotten round to buying one as the choices I have made thus far- Junkers Horizon, Vixa Type 1 and CWL C60 Trident- have satisfied my immediate urges. If I found one that I really liked on ebay, for instance, I would probably run with just out of interest.

Lets face it, if it proves to be a dog, you are going to have no regrets getting rid of it if it did not cost much, although from the looks of monkey and ianblyth's posts, it is unlikely you will want to.

Good luck!
User avatar
springer
Guru
Guru
Posts: 308
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:18 pm
CW-watches: 6
LE-two: yes

Re: Parnis

Post by springer »

I've a white IWC clone, bought for a princely £26 on ebay. It's easily the most accurate watch I have. Gains no more than 1s a day. Excellent build quality for the money. Gets as much wrist time as anything else I have.
Out on the wiley, windy moors....

C2LE
S3SWS (the FPO's)
R20-DEC-SKK (ditto)
C6SOSI
C80GB1
C11-AUTO-BENZ-SKK

Member of the C80 Owners Club
CornishDave
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 2320
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2009 11:02 am
CW-watches: 8
Location: Northumberland

Re: Parnis

Post by CornishDave »

Some of those straps cost more than the watches I would guess?? :D
User avatar
Tyke
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 5944
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 9:47 pm
CW-watches: 0

Re: Parnis

Post by Tyke »

Had one & it looked okay & worked well albeit with the standard noisy rotor. Good for the money but sold mine as it didn't have any long term appeal (to me at least)
User avatar
ianblyth
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 10940
Joined: Mon Jan 18, 2010 10:17 pm
CW-watches: 19
LE-two: yes
LE-three: yes
LE-foura: yes
LE-five: Yes
LE-six: Yes
Location: Wokingham, UK

Re: Parnis

Post by ianblyth »

CornishDave wrote:Some of those straps cost more than the watches I would guess?? :D
Yes but they make the watch look so much better.
"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." Anais Nin
colincward1
Newbie
Newbie
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2010 7:31 pm

Re: Parnis

Post by colincward1 »

Gents, thank you for all your comments; great to see some 'real photos' as well - they always look so much better.
Think i will treat myself; quite like the portuguese looker, or the new tourbillon??
Will definately make sure to budget for a new strap and see if i can take the saphire glass option; am i right in thinking that the light reflects off the saphire glass mich better than the 'mineral glass'?
User avatar
shrink
Forumgod
Forumgod
Posts: 861
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2008 7:04 pm
CW-watches: 4

Re: Parnis

Post by shrink »

well i ordered one of these today:

Image

its a hand wind.. so no noisy rotor to worry about, and a fairly simple movement. Watch this space (no pun intended)
Who watches the watch-men
User avatar
carlt69
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 1225
Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2010 11:49 pm
CW-watches: 1
Location: Wales

Re: Parnis

Post by carlt69 »

shrink wrote:well i ordered one of these today:

Image

its a hand wind.. so no noisy rotor to worry about, and a fairly simple movement. Watch this space (no pun intended)
I am thinking of getting a Parnis please keep us informed with pictures of course :lol:
Tudor BB Blue
Tudor Pelagos :D
BALL Fireman Storm Chaser Pro
CWL C60 Trident Pro
Vostok Europe Almaz Bronze
Casio G-Shock x 2
Tissot T-Touch Expert Titanium
User avatar
Tyke
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 5944
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 9:47 pm
CW-watches: 0

Re: Parnis

Post by Tyke »

For those of you in touch with your feminine side, these also come in pink :shock:
Image
User avatar
Monkey
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 4573
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 7:48 pm
CW-watches: 7
LE-two: yes
Location: Surrey

Re: Parnis

Post by Monkey »

Tyke wrote:For those of you in touch with your feminine side, these also come in pink :shock:
Image

After you old boy :wink:
John
User avatar
jmarchitect
Senior Forumgod
Senior Forumgod
Posts: 4420
Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2010 7:00 pm
CW-watches: 3
Location: sunny south coast, UK

Re: Parnis

Post by jmarchitect »

I think the correct term is 'salmon'.... :lol: