We live in a world of conformity. Not just today but always. And our natural tendencies lean towards demagogy and mob mentality rather than authenticity and independent thinking. We are social animals, there is no need to deny that, and we thrive inside communities of like-minded people and not secluded in temples of solitude. But I believe—and maybe you do too—that we can be ourselves amongst others as long as we have the courage to believe in who we are and to cast aside people’s judgments of us. Of course, there is a connection here to be made with horology because at the core of this industry is the drive for self-expression, independence, and the desire to connect with one another through our shared passion for these little unnecessary machines. Machines which mean many things for each and every one of us and which are, in some ways, one of the rare elements of our daily attire which make it possible for us to show the world who we are whilst globally fitting in. 

The chief task of watch brands therefore is to contribute a unique vision for horology and to stick to it. The first challenge brands face is to avoid repeating what has been done before, and the second challenge is to not pay too much attention to people’s suggestions which can sidetrack the brand into becoming something it wasn’t meant to be. When brands put  too much stock in others’ opinions and suggestions they lose their raison d’être and become just another blob in a saturated world of blobs. And so today we’re going to take another look at a brand which marches at the beat of its own drum and which thus far has not strayed from the path it has paved for itself: Paulin. Not long ago we examined the Mara or the brand’s singular take on one of the most popular genres of watches in the history of horology—divers. A home run for sure. And so we’re going to take a deeper look into Paulin’s uniqueness by dissecting the Modul D Manual, or one of the most singular everyday watches I have seen thus far. 

Specifications

In our exploration of the Mara we discovered that Paulin doesn’t do things half-ass, as it put as much emphasis on the design as it did on the specifications, making it a full wholesome package. The Modul D Manual is no different and the Glasgow brand spared no expense to pair a bespoke dial and case design with a more than healthy list of technical specifications which make the asking price of €1.167,95/$1,347 USD stretch far and wide. For example, a manual-wind ETA 7001 caliber ticks inside at 21,600 BPH (3Hz) and comes with ±42 hours of power reserve, showcasing superb Côtes de Genèves on the plates and blued screws which make for a lovely spectacle to witness through the screw-down sapphire case-back. The ETA 7001 is a small and thin caliber which perfectly fits within the smaller dimensions of the Modul D Manual: 35mm in diameter, 40mm lug-to-lug, 8.2mm thick (with the crystal) and a 18mm lug width. This collection was designed to be modular and comes in a quartz version. 

The top crystal is a box sapphire whose shape is highly reminiscent of vintage hesalite crystals many of us have a passion for. Due to its shape, the crystal accounts for 2mm of the total thickness of the Modul D Manual, meaning that the watch sans the sapphire clocks in at a meager 6.2mm in thinness. Paired to a 35mm diameter and 40mm L2L distance, it makes for a wonderful and lightweight wearing experience though the watch does not easily disappear from sight as the tonneau-shaped case commands a strong wrist presence. Part of the technical prowess of the Modul D Manual stems from the black movement holder which is attached to the case by two screws on either side of it, giving this collection its modular aspect (to swap one type of caliber for another) and which contributes to its unique visual aspect: Paulin purposely made the holder visible and part of the case design which gives this model a unique industrial aesthetic. This goes to show with how much intensity Paulin worked on this collection. 

Moreover, and perhaps what will surprise you (as it did me) is the fact that the Modul D Manual is a freaking lume monster as Paulin juxtaposed four types of SuperLuminova on the black lacquered dial to make for a unique night show: blue lume for the hour markers and wordmarks; teal-green for the hour and minute hands; orange for the small seconds hand; and finally, darker green for the batons located inside the hour markers. This is a bit insane to see in the metal and even more so considering the price at which Paulin is selling this model, which is reasonable for me, all things considered. As the expression goes, there is a lot that meets the eye here, indeed a lot. And to complete the specifications of the Modul D Manual we find a mid-sized (5.9mm) but deeply knurled crown which together with the screw-down case-back endow this model with a reasonable 50 meters of water resistance. 

Design

If you take a look at Paulin’s catalog you will instantly notice the singularity of its design ethos where less is much more and breaking the mold is a fun pastime. Whether looking at the case or the dial, the Glasgow brand demonstrates how any brand can be different whilst fitting in, as its aesthetic philosophy seems to be to look at traditional horological designs from a fresh perspective without swerving into the world of the bizarre and the odd. (What I often refer to as machine watches a la MB&F which solely exist (in my humble opinion) to disrupt the industry and nothing more.) In other words, the Paulin Modul D Manual is distinct but never weird, so that we can easily feel compelled to strap it to our wrist for our own personal pleasure (and not to start a conversation with a group of strangers) and to accompany us in our daily adventures. Which is what Paulin did by designing and constructing the case as it did by integrating the movement holder within the 316L body of stainless steel. 

Seeing the movement holder spill over at the three o’clock around the ice-puck-shaped crown is delightful, so it is to see the four screws deeply recessed within the mid-case holding it together, and the box-shaped sapphire crystal standing proud from what should be a bezel. Paulin went a step further by redesigning the traditional shape of the tonneau case by creating an arched mid-section which narrows at its center and swells towards the lugs in magnificent boat-shaped flanks. The lugs are therefore tall and angular, faceted on their outside and emphasized by prominent polished chamfers which come to break the rhythm of the otherwise fully brushed case where vertical, radial, and horizontal brushing highlights the superb profile of the steel body. It is by re-designing the tonneau case with such singularity and flair that Paulin managed to endow a 35mm watch with such a strong wrist presence, and I can tell you that Paulin does cases very well as the one on the Mara shares a similar physique. 

What is further fascinating about the Modul D Manual, and which will be part of today’s heart of the matter, is the fact that the brand managed to both give us an interesting case and dial to look at as well as to stuff this model with a spoon-full of great specifications. Paulin does indeed embrace the design precept of less is more but also that of the essential is necessary as it is easy to read the time even though the minute track is absent. So the Manual D comes with two sets of hour markers, one where Arabic numerals (printed in Paulin’s bespoke typeface) are complemented by dots and squares, and the other made up of yellow lines which are answered by the smaller yellow dashes on the small seconds sub-register. Then we have a rectangular hour hand painted in blue, a partially hollowed-out minute hand painted in white, and a pill-shaped seconds hand painted in orange. All of these colors pop from the black lacquered dial and so are easy to read as well as being visually striking. 

The Heart of the Matter

I guesstimate that there are too many watch brands in existence today. Many are doomed to vanish in the coming few years for a variety of reasons—financial, organizational, or artistic ones—because it is impossible to sustain too many of the same thing within a small world. And those which will survive for a while or perhaps for eternity will do so because they have created a unique recipe for success. Their recipe, not one they have emulated from another successful brand, but truly something that only this brand and this brand only could have concocted. I have the feeling that Paulin will be around for a long time, or at the very least remain active for a while in its truest and most authentic form, as it clearly cares about non-conforming to what is safe and in demand and instead embraces what makes it different and original. By creating and sharing its own design language without falling into the bizarre and odd, Paulin is managing to stand out from the crowd without standing outside of it. And that is fabulous and worth celebrating. 

Conclusion 

I’m starting to have a strong affinity for the brand as I admire what it does, how well it does it, and at which price it puts it on the market. In my review of the Mara I indicated that many found the diver to be too expensive for what it is, but I don’t believe so as creating something different and unique is time consuming and financially exhausting. Paulin proves it again with the Modul D Manual as I believe that the asking price of €1.167,95/$1,347 USD is more than reasonable. And for this amount of money you can have it in yellow (A), brown (B), pink (C), black (D) or silver (E) or in a quartz version in the same colors but for €530,95/$611 USD which is just fantastic. So go take a look at the brand’s full catalog to delight in its creativity and singularity. 

Thanks for reading.