Paulin Introduces the Mara, their First Dive Watch

Earlier this year at the Windup Watch Fair in San Francisco, I heard some buzz that a member of the Paulin team was wearing the watch they’d be debuting at the end of the summer, and that it was a diver. At the time, it seemed almost illogical. Paulin, in my mind, is the definition of a design oriented brand. I own a Paulin Modul, and love the visual impression of the case and dial, and the ingenuity behind the concept of a case built from the ground up to enable the swapping of movements. Dive watches have been made and remade over and over again, and I tend to have the feeling that there’s nothing new under the sun when it comes to tool oriented watches aimed at the enthusiast. Obviously I should have had a little more confidence in Paulin to subvert expectations and create something with their own unique stamp on it. 

The Mara, the brand’s new diver, is finally unveiled to the public today, and it still impresses me just as much at launch as it did when I got a short sneak peek in San Francisco. What we have here is a 300 meter diver in stainless steel measuring 39.7mm in diameter. The case is styled as a more robust version of the Modul, and indeed it does have similar lines, particularly in the way the lugs angle inwards toward the center of the case if you view the watch from the front. Everything is just a little more rounded, though, which feels like a small tribute to traditional dive watch design. 

The most impressive design cue here in my opinion however is the dial, which is available in black or blue. It does a fantastic job of tying this watch to others in Paulin’s catalog in subtle ways. It borrows the “Wim” typeface, custom designed for Paulin and used on the Modul and Neo previously. The geometric shapes used as hour markers are intuitive in their legibility and feel playful in just the right amount. The dial is surrounded by a sapphire bezel with a dome to it that matches that of the crystal, and it overhangs the case very slightly, a conscious choice on the part of Paulin to ensure that it’s easy to grip underwater or with gloves. 

Powering the Mara is a La Joux Perret G101 automatic movement with 68 hours of power reserve. This is a solid movement that is relatively thin, allowing the case to come in at just 13.5mm inclusive of the domed crystal. Without the crystal, it’s just 10.8mm thick, and in my limited time with the watch I can confirm it wears quite thin for a diver with 300 meters of water resistance. Strap options include a fitted rubber strap or a two piece fabric strap made from recycled fishing nets. The lug width is a standard 20mm, so owners will have plenty of options to play with various aftermarket bracelets, pass through straps, and more. 

The retail price for the Mara is $1,650. More information can be found on the brand’s website here.

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