The watch industry uses the term, chronometers, for timepieces with the highest state of precision and accuracy. People often confuse the term with chronograph. Those combine a plain movement with stop watch functions. Watchmakers understand the difference, but I'm not sure that knowledge exists among the buying public.
Short Introduction to Parnis:
Much speculation exists about this watch brand. At one time, people thought five watch companies in Guangzhou used the moniker. Their products ranged from cheap Chinese watches to high quality ones. In those days, little demand for Chinese watches existed. Outsourcing emerged as the dominate business in China and the Guangzhou companies dedicated their resources to making watches for other companies.
The watch shown here comes from Guangzhou, Baiyun, Guangdong. The manufacturer assembles these watches by hand and offers them to a small group of resellers, most of whom reside in Hong Kong. All business is channeled through those resellers.
Some differences exist in what services Parnis distributor offer, so you'll need to use care in selecting the reseller with whom you work. If you find a reliable supplier, then you can own a high quality watch similar to a Sea-Gull for 50% of what Sea-Gull distributors ask.
What to Look For
You want a Sea-Gull movement and a standard case, face and hands.
I suggest you visit this supplier
Quality of Sea-Gull Movements
Look for Sea-Gull movements and look at the finish to make sure you're getting a tier-1 caliber. If you find a quality Sea-Gull, then you'll have a remarkable watch. To determine if you have a top of the line movement, rather than a raw-ebauche, you'll need to identify certain aspects of the finish.
[*Note: Movement manufacturers sell basic watches called ebauches and let the watch company add their own style of finish and logos.]
The contrasting area with the colimaçon decoration provides the next recognizable feature. This pattern in French refers to climbing up and down. Sea-Gull uses this pattern on several surfaces. Also note the anglage or angles on each part. The most obvious, of course, is seen on the winding rotor.
The blue screws are the third give away. The color doesn't have a function other than decoration and to help in identifying the movement.
How About This Model
The manufacturer refers to this particular model as a "Portuguese" after a watch made for two Portuguese businessmen by a factory in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in 1939. The men wanted a watch as accurate as a marine chronometer. The factory had only one movement available for that caliber - a pocket watch. That meant the movement would have the second hand in the nine o'clock position.
Today, you cannot achieve that accuracy with a mass produced movement outside of ETA and Sea-Gull. Some watches with the Parnis label use Dixmont Guangdong or Citizen Miyota movements and they cannot achieve the level of accuracy as a tier-1 Sea-Gull Tianjin movement - ST 25.
We know the basic Sea-Gull movement as a ST 25. When you add two digits to the end, it gives you the configuration (known as complications in the trade) of the watch.
A ST2530 indicates a configuration with a power reserve indicator, second hand in the nine o'clock position and a date window at the three o'clock position.
What About This Parnis Watch?
Many people put Chinese watches in a lower class than Swiss ones. While that maybe generally true, Parnis watches with the proper Sea-Gull movements are world-class and provide a way to purchase a quality timepiece otherwise unavailable at this price point.
This Portuguese model has several unique features, which include a self-winding automatic movement, a 316L marine grade brushed stainless steel case, a Sieko Hardlex* crystal front and back, leather band with tang buckle, 43 mm diameter - popular mid-size case, 14 mm thickness and water resistance to the 3 atmospheres.
*Hardlex(tm) is a scratch proof fused crystal providing the clarity and flexibility of mineral glass and the scratch resistance of sapphire.
*A Sea-Gull finished the movement with perlage, colimaçon and the use of blue screws are indicative of hand finishing of bridges and weighs to indicate the company's top tier movements. It has a 25 jewel movement and jewels in the rotor mechanism.
Watch Out for the Watch
American consumers typically provide opinion leadership for many products sold outside the US. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, that means impulse buying influences global brand perception. Not a good commercial model for watches. If you're purchasing a watch - either for yourself or as a gift - I hope you will find the above information helpful. If you don't care, it's your money. I prefer to get a great watch at the a lower price than the competition.