Review of the Parnis 33mm Women's Quartz Watch
Walter Shillington is an avid collector of mechanical watches. His reviews focus on inexpensive but often intriguing Chinese timepieces.
Parnis 33mm quartz women's watches
Walter B Shillington
I have been impressed with the quality of two Parnis men’s watches I have recently purchased and reviewed. Since Christmas is fast approaching, I ordered a pair of their women’s timepieces. They arrived well packed and on schedule.
Description
Both of these watches are similar in design. They weigh 54 grams (1.93 ounces), are 12 mm thick, and measure 33 mm across.
The dials are color-coded to match their straps. One is purple. The other is labeled orange but, to my eyes, comes across as brown. What appears to be four tiny diamonds mark the three, six, nine, and twelve-hour positions. The dial is protected by a sapphire crystal.
Silver hour and minute hands match their stainless steel case. One version of this timepiece includes a rose-gold plated case.
These watches are not equipped with a second hand. That’s okay with me. If the passing seconds were that important, I would consider myself far too busy.
The bezel design of the purple watch is relatively simple. Parnis is engraved at both the top and bottom, and a stylized diamond is engraved on either side.
The orange watch’s bezel features a large number of what one vendor describes as inlaid diamonds. These reflect quite nicely in the light. Possibly real diamonds were used in the production of these watches, but, for the purposes of this review, I will assume that they are composed of cut glass.
The back plates of each of these timepieces are attached to the main unit by four screws. A metal piece, which, for lack of a better word I will describe as a "handle," lays flush at the center of the backplate. This can be easily be pivoted into a standing position and used to attach a pin or a silver chain. If you wish to use this timepiece in that manner, the leather one-piece strap can be removed by loosening the four screws and pulling the strap free.
A snap-on caseback is hidden beneath the backplate. This conceals a Ronda one jewel quartz movement. The movement is composed of Swiss parts which were assembled at Ronda’s factory in Indonesia.
The one-piece straps are composed of soft and flexible leather and utilize clasps of the polished Pre-V Buckle variety.
The Manufacturer
Parnis is a small Chinese watch company, trademarked by Xiao Jiam Hong of Guangzhou.
Parnis designs their own timepieces and assembles them at their manufacturing facility at Tong De Wei, Guangzhou. The various components are contracted out from companies such as Seagull, Miyota, and Ronda. Fu Yuan Xin manufacturers their cases.
Parnis produces both mechanical and quartz driven timepieces. Some of these watches are intended to closely resemble their Swiss competitors’ more expensive luxury timepieces. Other designs, such as that of the H2110 Chronograph, are fresh and original.
Parnis has acquired a good reputation due to their use of superior components and respectable quality control.
Specifications
Brand: Parnis
Condition: New
Place of Origin: Guangzhou, China
Gender: Female
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Display: Analog
Movement: Ronda quartz
Style: Luxury
Band material: Leather
Band color: Purple or Orange
Band width: 14 mm
Clasp type: Pre-V Buckle
Dial color: Matches color of strap
Dial window material: Sapphire Crystal
Case material: Stainless steel
Case diameter: 33 mm
Case thickness: 12 mm
Weight: 54 grams (1.93 ounces)
Water resistance: 3 ATM (splash resistant only)
Visual Appeal
Although small in diameter, these timepieces are quite thick and very shiny. The matching dial and strap provide a pleasing appearance.
The ability to remove the strap and either pin the watch to a blouse or secure it to a chain allows the wearer to mix and match more effectively than with a normal wristwatch.
Durability
These watches are equipped with Ronda, one jewel movements. This Swiss manufacturer has established an enviable reputation in regard to accuracy and durability.
The stainless steel cases appear very solid and I feel that the Parnis design team was wise to fit these timepieces with both a caseback and a back plate. The high-quality sapphire crystal is appreciated.
I really like the leather straps provided with these watches. I did note, however, a quality control issue. The buckle tong of the purple strap was placed on the wrong side of the buckle. If I didn’t own the proper pin removal tool, this situation would have resulted in an expensive visit to the jeweler.
Overall Impression
These Parnis women’s watches are of higher quality than expected for timepieces in the fifty to seventy-five dollar price range. If you appreciate their design, these watches are worthy of strong consideration.
While both of these timepieces are similarly designed, the bezel of the purple watch is much simpler than that of the orange timepiece. In an attempt to gauge my reader’s taste, I am conducting a survey. Please take the time to fill in the poll below.
© 2017 Walter Shillington
