by Brent Robillard
Dive in
When Paulin first announced the Mara, I’ll admit I was caught off guard. A dive watch wasn’t on my 2025 bingo card for the Glasgow-based brand known for design-forward field and dress pieces. I said as much in my On Spec review a few weeks back, and at the time I thought I had the measure of it. But since then, Paulin kindly sent over both the blue and grey bezel versions, and I’ve had the chance to really live with them—including a camping trip to Presqui’ile Provincial Park. That’s where the Mara’s personality really came into focus.
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Key Features of the Paulin Mara
The Grey Bezel – My Pick of the Pair
If the blue bezel Mara speaks with a clean, almost nautical brightness, the grey bezel comes across with quiet authority. It’s subtle, but rugged—understated in a way that feels just right when you’re hiking trails, cooking over a campfire, or rinsing off in Lake Ontario. The bezel action itself is excellent: crisp clicks, no play, and just the right resistance. It’s the kind of tactile quality you’d expect from a brand that took its time entering the dive watch space.
Straps That Make the Watch
The Mara ships with both a fabric strap and a fitted rubber option. Both are solid, but for me the branded rubber is where this watch really shines. It hugs the wrist with a natural curve, supple without feeling flimsy, and gives the whole package a confident, ready-for-anything feel. It’s exactly what I want in a watch meant to straddle the line between daily wear and true tool.
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A Watch That Earns Its Place
Looking back at my first impressions, I can’t help but realize how much I underestimated the enjoyment I would draw from the Mara. I shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, Jason Heaton—writer, diver, and long-time authority on functional watches—lent his name and experience to this project. Of course the Mara wasn’t going to be a fashion-first “dive-style” watch. It’s the real deal, built to work in and out of the water.
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And that’s what makes the Mara such a pleasure: it isn’t trying too hard. It just gets on with the job, whether that’s timing a swim, keeping you company at a campfire, or reminding you that Paulin’s design sense extends comfortably into tool-watch territory.
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The nitty gritty
If you missed the On Spec piece, the Mara is named after the Scots Gaelic word for “of the sea.” It brings brings together technical ability and graphic clarity, carrying Paulin’s playful, recognisable aesthetic to depths of 300 metres. Its lacquer-painted dial sits beneath a double-domed sapphire crystal with three layers of anti-reflective coating, and showcases Paulin’s bespoke Wim typeface alongside bold geometric hour markers and a crisp minute track.
Framing it all is a domed sapphire bezel, with Swiss Super-LumiNova printed on its underside for lasting legibility. The stainless steel case measures 39.7mm in diameter and 13.5mm thick, with a screw-down crown, closed caseback, and overhanging 120-click uni-directional bezel that gives it a purposeful stance on the wrist. Inside, the Swiss-made La Joux-Perret G101 movement delivers accuracy and reliability, completing a package that feels every bit as capable as it looks.
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Specs
| Case | 316L Stainless Steel 39.7mm Diameter 13.5mm Thick 20mm Lug Width Screwed Down Case Back & Crown 300m Water Resistance |
| Dial & Crystal | Domed Sapphire Crystal Lacquer Dial Printed Indices Baton-styled Hands Super-LumiNova |
| Movement | La Joux-Perret G101 24 Jewels 28 800bph 68-Hour Power Reserve |
| Strap | Fitted Rubber, or Fabric |
Paulin Mara
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Final Thoughts
After spending time with both colourways, the Mara has become one of those watches that sticks with me—not just for what it is, but for what it represents. Paulin has taken a confident step into the world of dive watches, and they’ve done it with style, substance, and a sense of purpose. The fact that I can say I’d happily wear the Mara every day, whether in the city or at the edge of a provincial park, says more than I expected to when this watch first crossed my desk.
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Pricing & Availability
The Paulin Mara is available now from the brand website and retails for approximately $2339 CAD.
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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