Premier series, 1983 - 1991

I consider this a branch off the Parker 75 family tree. My reasoning is that the barrel and cap, while apparently different, can fit the very same section (fountain pen, felt-tip, and rollerball) as the 75 line. Evidently the barrel threads and inner cap are the same as the 75.

This series was introduced to the European market on September 12, 1983 at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. Made in the Parker Meru factory (see exception), this was to be the luxury version to the 75. It was slightly longer and with a larger diameter, the Premier was designed to be a higher-end (read expensive) model. It has an elegant look to it with its black, flat jeweled end tassies made out of onyx, and faceted rings that make it sparkle in the light.

These faceted rings are located:

at the closed end of the cap,

the mid-section (actually the cap's open end),

and the barrel.

While the cap and barrel had been upgraded and made more luxurious, at its core the Premier used the same nib as the 75. While the sections also had been uplifted by gold accents, the threading was the 75 so that Premier and 75 sections are interchangeable. In fact, many times I see Premiers with 75 sections to the point that perhaps even Parker sold them that way.

There is also a Premier desk set configured in 1-pen and 2-pen versions.

Patterns

There were only a limited number of patterns and finishes that were made at introduction:

Sterling silver

Solid 18K gold Presidential

Solid 9K gold

Click here to see the packaging for these Presidential models

Stripe lacque and 22K GP, commonly known as the Athenes

22K GP Grain d'Orge

SP Grain d'Orge

Chinese lacquer with speckles

And later, when the lacque and goldplate Athenes model was dropped, a black epoxy (not really a lacquer) was added.

Noir

Interestingly, all Premier models were offered to company stockholders immediately after their introduction. This offer was made in the quarterly report issued on October 17, 1983 and gave a preferential discount of 50%.

I surmise the last year of Premier as being 1991. This is based upon its absence from a Parker Retail Price List of 1992 while it does appear in a 1990 Parker holiday wholesale price list. At the very end the only models available were (in decreasing order or prices):

Solid 18K
Chinese lacquer with gold-colored speckles
Sterling silver crosshatch grid
22K GP Grain d'Orge
Noir

Yes folks, the Chinese lacquer model was more expensive than the sterling silver!

Update of June 27, 2004

Here is a prototype in red laque.

Update of October 9, 2004

Here is a dealer wall display proudly showing four different models of the Premier FP.

From left-to-right, they are:

Chinese laque
Silverplated Grain d'Orge
Athenes
Sterling silver grid

Update of September 25, 2005

Here are two test market laque Premiers in red and blue-grey.

Red

Blue-grey

Signed midnight blue-black

This one is a dark blue-black that is difficult to photograph without it looking like it is black.

What is most interesting about this pen is that it has Chinese characters, a feature that I have never seen in any Premier before.

Furthermore other interesting things about these characters are:

The placement on the side, which is unlike the 75s that places the characters diametrically opposite to the clip, in the back of the cap.
There are three characters, when 75s usually have two.
The transliteration of these characters is "tian RAN SHIH" (capitalized letters show emphasis). This is also different from the 75s as they are to reflect the Parker name. Here on this Premier the meaning of these characters is "natural laquer".

Update of April 2, 2006

Here is another prototype, a BP with a rainbow of colors from blue to purple. It is quite extraordinary.

Here's a close-up showing off the colors.

Update of July 15, 2006

Here is another BP prototype with a rainbow of colors. I think this is yet another sample of the BP above but with some speckling added.

This is a laque blue prototype FP. What is curious is the total lack of facets that is a normal characteristic of the Premier line which you can see on the cap band with the Parker name.

You can see the rounded facet-less tassie in this close-up of the cap.

Here is a brass RB. The overall shape of this pen is quite different, plus the tassies are also round like the above blue.

Notice the clip meets the cap in a slot so that there doesn't appear to have stacked circular rings like the above blue cap.

I deduce these FP and RB are transitional pens between the 75 and Premier because of the clip-cap interface and rounded tassies.

Update of Dec 31, 2007

Here are two interesting Premiers, one made in the United Kingdom and the other is prototype laque color in a darker blue-grey than the one shown above.