Mk1 Paramo Review: A GADA on a budget

Specs

40mm

20mm lug width

47.5mm lug to lug

Swiss Ronda Slim Tech Quartz

Sapphire crystal with inner AR coating

Applied indices and sword hands with BGW-9 lume

Signed screw-down crown

200m water resistance

Drilled lugs

316L stainless steel

Strap: faux-integrated stainless H-link bracelet, faux-integrated tropic rubber strap, two seatbelt nylon NATOs.

This watch typically retails for $250. That said, it has gone on sale multiple times on Amazon, becoming more and more tempting until it finally dropped to $120 and included a 5% coupon. So all said, I got it for $112 before tax. Go re-read the specs portion and tell me that’s not a steal. I know specs aren’t everything, but they’re not nothing, either.

Since I discovered this watch last year, it has intrigued me as a value proposition GADA. The lack of media about it though always made me hesitant. But for $100, it’s hard to go wrong. That said, I was mildly underwhelmed upon its arrival. The dial just felt less exciting than I had hoped based on pictures and the one video I’d seen. But the straps and bracelet all seemed like good quality, and the four of them alone are worth the price I paid, so I decided to keep it.

The bracelet is an H-link style bracelet with brushed H-links and polished center links. It tapers down to 18mm, and has a branded push-button, milled clasp with fold-over safety, and three micro-adjust positions. The links have smooth articulation and the bracelet is very comfortable to wear. The solid, female end links keep the lug to lug true.

The tropic rubber is super comfortable, and uses the end links from the bracelet to maintain an integrated look. The two NATOs are comfortable, and seem to be quality. I don’t wear NATOs much, so they don’t do a ton for me, but they do look and feel nice.

(Both nylon NATOs included)

I said the dial was a bit underwhelming when I received it, but as I wear it, it continues to grow on me. The sunburst ring the indices sit on is far more subtle than I thought it would be, but when the sun catches it right, it is a welcome surprise. The small second dial has great texture, as does the inner circle with its sandpaper texture. Again, these features aren’t loud, but combine to make a subtly compelling dial that, in the right light, will suddenly draw me in completely.

The whole watch wears very comfortably on my 7.25” wrist. It felt big at first, but I think that’s due to my 36mm Vaer C3 being my daily driver. As I’ve gotten used to it, I really like the way it sits. It runs on the Ronda Slimtech quartz movement. As far as I can tell, it’s plenty accurate and works well with the small seconds dial.

The watch feels genuinely like a watch built for both the enthusiast and the casual watch-wearer. They could’ve slapped any old quartz in there, added a push-pull crown, some nominal lume and called it good. Instead they went with Swiss movement and BGW-9 lume, 200m water resistance, multiple levels of depth on the dial and applied indices. The chamfered edges transition from brushed sides to polished bezel with a brushed flattop, the lugs are drilled and it has solid, female endlinks. These all show there was an effort to build an interesting watch for someone who cares.

Things I don’t like? The logo. It’s just kind of cartoonish on an otherwise fairly serious watch. I can live with it at the price point, but it is to me what the Phoibos logo is to a lot of others. For that, I’m knocking it down to three stars on design. I’ve heard the company wanted it to evoke the strength of the buffalo. You tell me whether or not they achieved that.

Another thing is the screws in the bracelet links. They feel awfully easy to strip. I didn’t, but I think I came close. They just don’t inspire confidence. On the dial, I wish the sunburst of the ring the indices sit on was a little stronger. The lume lasts through the night, but with the indices not having any differentiation, orientation in the dark is tricky when groggy at 3am.

Still though, I like this watch. It just seems solid. Nothing crazy, but well done for what it is. I’ve never owned a luxury watch, so I can’t compare or comment on the ways it falls short of the big dogs. But it has what I like in a watch (other than that logo), and adds some versatility to my collection. It does a good job of setting itself up as a great budget GADA, or at least an ideal vacation watch. Even at $250, I think it’d be worth it, though maybe less so, as there are a ton of good budget options between $200 and $300. At $112 though, I think it’s a heck of an option. Thanks for reading, cheers!

Coors getting all philosophical on us here.