Paulin Mara Review: A Dive Watch with Graphic Character

By Brent Robillard

Surprise!

It’s safe to say I didn’t see this one coming.

Paulin has always struck me as one of the more whimsical names in contemporary watchmaking—a design-forward Glasgow atelier whose playful sense of typography and colour often flirted with the avant-garde. I expected surprises from them, yes. But a purpose-built dive watch with a 300-metre depth rating? That wasn’t on my 2025 bingo card.

Paulin Mara

And yet, here we are—with the Paulin Mara. A serious dive watch that still manages to feel unmistakably Paulin. And it’s that duality—the tension between form and function—that makes it such a welcome surprise.

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Key Features of the Paulin Mara

At a glance, the Mara ticks all the tool watch boxes: a robust 39.7mm stainless steel case with faceted surfaces, a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, a 120-click unidirectional bezel, and a screw-down crown flanked by guards. Inside beats the La Joux-Perret G101, a Swiss automatic movement with a healthy 68-hour power reserve. There’s even a domed sapphire bezel with Super-LumiNova printed on its underside—a detail that nods to vintage dive bezels while maintaining a modern edge.

300m diver

But it’s in the dial where the Mara announces its Paulin-ness loud and clear. The quirky geometric markers, the rounded “Wim” typeface lifted from the Neo and Modul collections, and the delightful lollipop seconds hand with a colour pop at its tip—these touches turn what could have been a purely utilitarian tool into something with warmth and character.

It’s worth noting that Paulin didn’t set out to make a dive watch on a whim. The project was born of a conversation with renowned dive watch writer (and one half of The Grey NATO podcast) Jason Heaton in 2023, in which the brand began exploring what it would mean to create a watch that performs under pressure without losing the graphic clarity and playfulness of its design DNA.

Jason Heaton gears up with the Paulin Mara

The Mara is available in either blue or black and ships with two interchangeable straps: a branded, injection-moulded rubber option, and a Tide fabric strap made in-house from recycled fishing nets, lined with Alcantara suede. The latter was sewn by Paulin’s sister company, anOrdain—a reminder of the tight-knit creative community behind the brand.

Paulin Mara in black

There are technical dive watches, and there are expressive design watches. The Paulin Mara dares to be both. It’s not trying to compete with the heavyweights in the tool watch space, nor does it abandon what makes Paulin unique. It carves its own category—one in which clarity, character, and creativity coexist underwater and above.

And for me, it’s this spirit of the unexpected that makes the Mara such a compelling proposition. Paulin didn’t need to make a dive watch. But I’m glad they did. Because now, divers get to wear a piece of design that will make them smile—even 300 metres below.

Pricing and Availability

The Paulin Mara retails for $1650 USD (£1200* +VAT) and is available from the brand website as of today!

About the author

Brent Robillard is a writer, educator, craftsman, and watch enthusiast. He is the author of four novels. You can follow him on Instagram.

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