Scotland. A land of dramatic landscapes, rich culture & history and a strong sense of identity. The birthplace of whisky, bagpipes and if the movie Skyfall has something to say about it – James Bond. One of its cities is home to 2 watch brands determined to put it on the horological map. For those who have been following me on Instagram, you very much know that I own an anOrdain Model 1 in its plum fumé guise. And yes, I love it to bits. However, its rather fun, and some might say quirky sister, Paulin, has been popping up on my radar lately. Whilst these two brands might live in the same house, so to speak, sharing the same studio and other facilities, their identities and offerings remain very much distinct.
We often hear art movements being sources of inspiration in watch design. Art Deco, Brutalism, Minimalism, Bauhaus, Modernism and Postmodernism. The list goes on. Paulin draws inspirations from art movements, with a unique approach, normally starting with the typography of their numerals. That, in turn, more or less drives the rest of the design. In this encounter, we explore one of their core offerings – the bright and joyful Modul A.
The Case for a Name
The name Modul comes from the watch’s modular construction. A black steel inner body holding the movement, screwed on the side into a steel tonneau-shaped case allows various configurations. What that immediately brings is a case thickness of under 10mm, crystal and all, that nicely slides under the cuff. The other thing I thought was that the case shape lends itself to look rather stylishly good regardless of whether you pair with a mesh bracelet, a leather strap, a rubber strap or a fabric strap. Comfort was certainly a factor that was not lost on this case design. This 39mm diameter case sporting a 45mm lug to lug does not feel like I am wearing a barrel on the wrist. Some might say that it looks big, and it might give that impression on my 17.5cm (6.89 in) wrist. I have watches of similar dimensions so I would surmise that it might have something to do with the dial layout.
As joyful as it gets
The Modul A sports a vibrant and cheerful shade of painted yellow lacquer as the base of its dial. Bright and bold, it reminds me of the character Joy from Inside Out, as pointed out by my 5-year-old when she saw me sporting this on the wrist. The markers have been pad printed in multiple layers giving it dimensionality. The numbered markers reflect the grid-like principles of Wim Crouwel’s school of thought. I am in no means a design expert, but for someone who likes symmetry and form, I can at least say that I appreciate what it is trying to achieve. What you therefore have is a clean, legible and perfectly balanced dial design.
Whilst it does not sport a minute track, the minute hand has a cut-out which perfectly aligns with the blue hour markers. A rather clever feature that sticks its tongue out to the school of thought where accuracy in representation of time is king. Even the, perhaps unorthodox, positioning of the brand name at 7 and its home city of Glasgow at 5 challenges the pre-conceptions of how branding ought to be done. If anything, it provides a welcome break from the typical and the norm, a clear nod to post-modernist outlooks. I, for one, am a fan of these attempts to break barriers. Can you not be a vibrant brand and still be able to do some serious watchmaking? I mean, why always be so serious right?
The curious bits
Priced at £900, one might expect a sapphire crystal instead of hesalite. Indeed, the 35mm models have the option of either hesalite or sapphire. Personally, I’m indifferent. I get the vintage vibes that hesalite gives, although I appreciate some folks might want the robustness of sapphire. Speedmaster Moonwatch anyone? Is buffing that crystal with Polywatch now and then such a bad thing? Perhaps too much of an inconvenience for some.
The movement choice here is the La Joux-Perret G-101, a premium movement with a 68-hour power reserve. Does it need that much power, and is it worth paying that bit extra for? That I cannot fully answer. For what it is worth, I opted for the G-101 for my Model 1 Plum, and I cannot fully answer why. Maybe I wanted a premium movement inside. I do like the use of Côtes de Genève and blued screws, especially as these come with a clear caseback. Fitted with a KIF anti-shock system its accuracy stands at ⨥/-12seconds per day. Curiously, the case is only rated at 50m WR, so no swimming or water sports with this one.
Overall, this is a piece that I truly enjoyed and has sparked joy. There will be some points within this package that some may question. But this would easily make a great daily. Easy on the wrist, and wonderful to the eye. A design that stands out and is not shy to be different.
Find out more about the Modul A Automatic at Paulin.com
The Timepiecer 
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