Introducing: The Seriously Fun Paulin Mara Dive Watches

Ever since I had my first taste of Paulin’s watches almost two years ago, I have been all ears whenever the brand releases something new. But I was particularly excited when Nacho alerted me about the Glaswegian brand’s take on a dive watch. Put the most popular category of watches in the capable hands of the ladies at Paulin, and you know something interesting is going to happen. It took a couple of seconds to let this seemingly playful take on a serious genre sink in. But after reading the brand’s story, seeing the press images, and trying the watches out for a bit, I can say that the pieces of the puzzle fell into place flawlessly. The new duo of Paulin Mara divers is seriously well done. Let’s find out more.

If you are familiar with Paulin’s story, you know that architecture and design influence the brand’s watches. I wrote about the fun Modul C Mechanical and Modul B Quartz in late 2023. In the review, I explained more about Paulin’s link to famous Dutch type designer Wim Crouwel, the transparency of the brand’s supply chain, and how the brand became part of anOrdain. In the almost two years since, Paulin has caught our attention with some creative and fun releases that this watch universe often lacks. The new Paulin Mara divers show a similar original approach to the classic dive watch. But don’t think for a second that this duo is not serious in both its intentions and its execution. These watches are impressive in more ways than one.

The story of the Paulin Mara dive watches

Let’s start at the beginning. After a lengthy talk in 2023 with seasoned diver and veteran watch writer Jason Heaton, who you might know from The Grey NATO podcast or his writing for numerous titles, including Hodinkee and The New York Times, the ladies at Paulin took up the challenge to create a great dive watch. In addition to delivering on performance, it needed to be a watch that immediately stood out as a Paulin diver. At the heart of the development was the dial.

As you can see, it is a seemingly playful take on a watch dial. Don’t let the looks deceive you, though, because it is cleverly designed. Available in blue or black lacquer, both versions feature a set of geometric hour markers consisting of squares, dots, triangles, and numerals at 6 and 12 in the brand’s Wim typeface.

On the perimeter of the dial, you will find a minute track in mint green that is only interrupted by the brand’s name and home city on the lower half. The dial layout is symmetrical and undeniably legible. The large luminous markers are easy to read in both daylight and the dark when they light up bright blue.

A clever dial design for a fun duo of divers

The fun for me is in the clever use of the triangles. How you look at them will affect your view of the dial. If you focus on them pointing inward, it’s easy to visualize a fairly standard circle of indexes. However, if you change your view, you will notice that the two triangles on the top half of the dial point up, while the two on the bottom point down, creating a fun and different perspective of the dial.

I love this clever visual trickery that gives a seemingly simple dial a nice visual twist. Hovering above each dial are a rounded hour hand, a rectangular minute hand, and a thin lollipop central seconds hand that features a yellow tip on the blue model and a light blue tip on the black one. It’s a colorful detail that adds another touch of playfulness.

The dial sits within a C-shaped housing, a reimagining of Paulin’s Modul case. It reminds me of some of the classic ’70s Seiko divers and has a 39.7mm diameter, 13.5mm thickness, 48mm length, and 20mm lug spacing. The Mara is water resistant up to 300 meters, making it a proper dive watch. While the thickness might seem substantial, without the crystal, the case has a 10.8mm profile. The additional 2.7mm comes from the double-domed and triple-antireflective-coated sapphire crystal. As a result, the overall profile is nice and slim, making the watch quite nice to wear.

A functional diver in all its details

This watch also features a 120-click unidirectional bezel that slightly overhangs the case, making it easy to grip. I tried the Mara on and was surprised by how easy it is to turn the bezel despite its seemingly minimal grip. The custom texture of polished sphere-shaped indentations works miracles in that regard.

The same goes for the knurled crown. It sits between elegant crown guards, but don’t let these seemingly modest elements fool you. As I mentioned in the intro, the goal was to create a great dive watch, and functionality was always key. These little details show that the team at Paulin took that job very seriously.

Inside the case, you will find the soigné-grade La Joux Perret G101. The G101 is the dateless version of the G100 that an increasing number of microbrands have started using for their watches. The automatic caliber operates at 28,800vph and offers a 68-hour power reserve. This solid choice of a movement is adjusted in four positions, providing an average accuracy of ±7 seconds per day and a maximum deviation of 20 seconds per day.

The Paulin Mara on the wrist

You see the brand’s images in this article, but I had a chance to wear the two Mara divers, and they seriously impressed me. The watches come with two straps that feel great. The first is a 20mm branded injection-moulded rubber strap. The second is a fabric strap made from recycled fishing nets lined with Italian Alcantara faux suede. The former adds to the brand’s playful style. It also adds a bit more volume compared to the fabric strap. But the latter is incredibly soft to the touch, making the watch very comfortable to wear.

When it comes to the two versions, it’s hard to choose. The blue-dial model also features a blue bezel insert. Add the blue straps, and it is a colorful watch that truly pops. The black-dial version has a light gray bezel insert with a lumed bright yellow 60-minute marker.

It gives the watch a slightly different presence than the cookie-cutter divers with black dials and matching bezels, and I love that. It’s also worth mentioning that Paulin chose to use two lume colors. The minute hand and the characteristic numerals on the bezel light up green in the dark for timing a dive, while the hour indexes on the dial and remaining hour and seconds hands light up bright blue in the dark.

Final thoughts on the Paulin Mara divers

While the two-tone lume is a fun element for most people who will buy one of the Maras, it’s more proof that Paulin created a serious duo of divers. And you can feel the combination of playfulness and seriousness when you wear these watches. The solid set of specs reveals a serious dive watch, while the design looks lighthearted and full of playful sparkles. But once you put the watches on your wrist, those two pieces of the puzzle fall into place flawlessly, making for a set of competent divers.

I was seriously impressed by these two watches. They wear like a dream thanks to the great case proportions. It feels a lot slimmer than the 13.5mm profile might suggest. Additionally, once you strap the watch to your wrist, you see that the playful elements are there to serve a serious purpose. Both reading the time and keeping track of the remaining dive time are easy.

With markers on the dial and numerals on the bezel, there is a clear distinction between the two. Turning the bezel is easy, but it’s also an absolute joy because it lets you feel the production quality. It’s worth a great compliment that the team at Paulin was able to create a dive watch that still feels like a playful timepiece but has all the chops to perform its task perfectly. At US$1,650 / £1,200 + VAT, these new Mara divers are a tremendous next step for Paulin. If you are looking for a new dive watch that offers something different from the standard fare but still has all the specs and functionalities of a professional diver, look no further.