Based in Glasgow, Scotland, Paulin is a real design-lover’s brand. What I mean by that is that the people behind the boutique watchmaker clearly see themselves as design professionals and offer an attention to detail that will likely be most appreciated by other design professionals. The difference between a good design and a mediocre one is less related to broad strokes than to small details and elements that many people might not immediately notice. The world of watch design attracts detail fanatics, and the hobby is lucky for it. What if only business people and engineers created new watches? That might have worked when people needed a wristwatch as much as they did a washing machine, but in today’s world, it is really design that sells watches more so than utility. That has allowed for a healthy number of both small and large modern timepiece makers to be established or managed by design professionals, each applying their own experiences and tastes in the fun effort of making a compelling timepiece. Paulin is just such a brand, and while you might like or dislike the products, you can’t deny that the watches are both full of originality and intention, including the new Paulin Modul E Automatic.

The Paulin Modul E Automatic, as the name implies, is the automatic movement variant of the Modul E, which is also available — like each of Paulin’s lettered A to D models — with a hand-wound movement (like this limited edition Modul A) or a quartz movement. This watch takes the “E” style dial (really a color palette more than a specific hand and hour marker set) with the brand’s popular Modul case. The case (short for “modular”) is interesting because it is designed to accept movements of different sizes. This is somewhat rare because most case sizes are engineered for a very specific size and shape of movement. Using various movement holding rings and other parts, other cases can to a degree accept different movements, but they aren’t designed for that. If you look at the sides of the Modul case, you’ll see four screws. These are adjustable and change based on the size of the movement inside of the watch. You can even see a vertical cut behind the crown. I suspect that this is because the position of the crown stem can change based on the movement. That means not only are movement diameter sizes different, but their thickness can change the position of the crown. Therefore, the Modul case is quite special given that most others are not designed for this type of flexibility, and still look nice in the process. As such, and as mentioned above, you can get Paulin Modul cases with both quartz and manually wound mechanical movements, both of which come in 35mm c-shaped cases.

This Paulin Modul case, while featuring the same overall c-shape, is 39mm wide in steel. Although it’s the largest Paulin model available, 39mm is mid-size at best. On the wrist, though, the wider lugs of the Modul do help it wear boldly. The steel case is finished quite well for a watch at this price point. I like how effort was put into making sure there aren’t sharp edges through good amounts of polishing. The case ends up having a somewhat distinctive feeling, even though the profile and overall elements are very familiar. It is a nice blend of novelty and history. The 39mm wide case is also 9.7mm thick and has a lug-to-lug distance of 45mm. The case is water resistant to 50 meters, and Paulin makes a somewhat controversial decision regarding the crystal material, which is Hesalite. Plastic acrylic watch crystals were popular prior to the mass adoption of harder (i.e. more scratch-resistant), mineral-based crystals such as forms of glass or synthetic sapphire crystal. What Hesalite offers is a slightly different viewing experience into the dial. People call it a “warmer” look, and of course light will interact and pass through acrylic differently than sapphire. Hesalite isn’t used because it is per se cheaper, but rather because Paulin wanted a very particular look for the Modul watches. The choice would be akin to someone choosing a vinyl music record over a CD. Even though most people would agree that clarity and convenience of compact disc music is better, there is still a subset of enthusiasts who prefer something about the old way of doing it. That’s the best analog I can think of right now to explain why Paulin would choose to use Hesalite as the watch crystal material when sapphire is just as easily available and demanded by more consumers overall.

Paulin makes their supply chain transparent on their website. You can see who makes their straps, movements, hands, and cases. There is somewhat of an effort to do things in the UK, but aside from assembly and dials, there don’t seem to be that many applicable watch part suppliers in their immediate area (which is a common issue). In any event, the entire construction and design ethos of Paulin seems in line with 20th-century industrial and architectural design principles going from before Art Deco all the way to postmodernism and neo-classical. The people behind the brand are also clearly very interested in both typography and signage (two areas that I personally nerd out on myself). Very specific attention was put both into the Paulin brand font as well as that of the numerals on the dial. The overall effect is supposed to be both legible and cheerful. It has a retro quality to it for sure, but there is also a stylish element that goes beyond the Modul simply trying to look like an object that was made in the past.

Inside the Modul E Automatic is the Swiss Made La Joux-Perret G101 automatic. This movement operates at 4Hz with three days of power reserve. It features just the time with a central seconds hand, and you can view the movement through the exhibition window on the rear of the case. Attached to the Modul case is a carefully selected gray suede strap that wears very comfortably. The strap is 20mm wide and set with quick-release spring bars. One interesting detail is that the pin on the buckle is colored black versus the naked steel of the buckle. There is no functional purpose to this but it helps the pin blend in more with the strap which has an outcome on the look and feel of the watch on your wrist. Again, a small detail but minor details like this is what the Paulin brand seems to be all about.

While the overall Modul E Automatic watch is simple in a lot of ways, the process to achieve it was anything but. As a small company using limited resources to create something “special” and affordable in the timepiece space, I think Paulin has done a nice job so far. Clearly, the minds behind the brand want to do a lot more, which they will with continued support. The cheerful and friendly nature of their watches makes them both visually and emotionally accessible, while the designer-focus on the products will appeal to enthusiasts who appreciate finer details. Price for the Paulin Modul E Automatic watch is $978 USD. Learn more at the Paulin website.

Necessary Information:
>Brand: Paulin
>Model: Modul E Automatic
>Price: $978 USD
>Size: 39mm wide, 9.7mm thick, 45mm lug-to-lug distance
>When reviewer would personally wear it: As a conversation piece to wear around design lovers and professionals.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Anyone with a fondness for Scottland. Anyone with an interest in mid-20th artistic industrial and architectural design principles. Those who like the design and details and like to support smaller brands.
>Best characteristic of watch: Comfortable and attractive overall. Interesting Modul case. Good value proposition.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Not everyone will appreciate the choice of Hesalite crystal. Hour and minute hands could arguably be a bit longer. Hard to avoid with rich colors such as the blue and orange, but much of the luminant is relatively weak.