Glasgow’s Paulin Returns with the Modul, Available in Quartz and Mechanical Versions

For watch enthusiasts, some big news out of Scotland this month: Paulin Watches, the Glasgow based brand that this year marks a decade in business, has been acquired by anOrdain, fellow Glaswegians and occasional collaborators. This, quite obviously, begins a new chapter for Paulin, a brand that has long been a favorite of ours here at Worn & Wound for their quirky and contemporary designs. The reboot happens under the watch of Imogen Ayers, a founding member of the anOrdain team, and Paulin’s Creative Director. Right out of the gate, they’ve introduced a new watch that signals a new direction, offering some hints about where the brand is heading. 

The new watch, dubbed the Paulin Modul, is so named because it was inspired by the very concept of modular design. The Paulin team, having sourced a variety of unused vintage movements and not being certain of what types of calibers they’d have access to in the future, wanted to create a watch that could accommodate those different movements. This is a fairly radical idea, as anyone who has lamented slightly changed (usually increased) case dimensions following a movement “upgrade” in a product line can attest. For the Modul, the movement, dial, and hands are placed within a watertight, steel inner case, which is then attached to a steel outer case via a pair of screws on both sides. The cushion shaped case measures 35mm in diameter and is just 8.2mm tall.  

To drive the modular point home, the Modul is available with two very different options. One is the new to market La Joux Perret D1000, which is a slightly modified version of the stalwart Peseux 7001 hand wound caliber. The other is a vintage ETA 955.112, a quartz caliber (in new-old-stock condition). Both are visible through an exhibition caseback, which is a particularly nice feature for the quartz version, simply because quartz movements are so rarely seen. This one happens to have an attractive appearance, with dynamic blue and gold colored finishing. 

Each version of the Modul is available in a trio of colorways. Customers can choose from yellow, pink, and maroon options, each incorporating Paulin’s distinctive style of marking the hours with a combination of Arabic numerals and indices. The designs are colorful and fun, but the also stand up to real scrutiny if you spend some time really looking at them. There’s a well thought out symmetry in how the dials are presented, and legibility is a snap thanks to the Paulin team’s eye for strong complementary colors. 

A core tenet at Paulin has always been transparency in where and how their watches are made, and like their parent company, much of the assembly work and production will be done in Scotland, and Paulin now has a new ability to access anOrdain’s manufacturing expertise. Paulin notes that they’re committed to supplying supplier lists for all models under $1,000, which includes both of the new Modul watches. To that end, Paulin states that for the Modul, all movements are Swiss made, assembly, regulation, and servicing are completed in Glasgow, dials and straps originate in Germany, cases are made in Asia, the hands are made in India, and the packaging is made in Portugal and the UK. 

The list price for the quartz Modul is $495, and the mechanical version is $995. Paulin