Premier prototypes

Here are all the prototypes found to date.

Update of June 27, 2004

Here is a prototype in red laque.

 

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:

  1. 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.

  2. There are three characters, when 75s usually have two.

  3. 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

Blue - dark grey


This is a bit darker shade that the one above.

 

Update of May 22, 2008

Here is an unnamed plastic Premier prototype with a beautiful swirl pattern.  




 

Even more remarkable is that is was made in the UK.

 

 

Update of May 31, 2010

This is a Premier that is rather special as it is in solid 18K gold and a pattern that has never been seen before as a Premier.



You can get a better idea of this basketweave patter in the close-up images below.  Note also that the tassies do not have the faceted rings as in the normal production version.

  

And here are the expected hallmarks to indicate that the cap and barrel are made of solid 18K gold — the eagle's head.

  

 

Update of 12-31-2010

Here is a BP prototype in a bright red laque color.