I know when it comes to British microbrands everyone is talking about Studio Underd0g at the moment as well as brands like Fears and Christopher Ward, but the rich depth of British watch design goes so much further. Case in point the new Paulin Watches Zapata Modul, a watch made in collaboration with a respected American artist, Crystal Zapata. It has one of the most distinctive and unusual dials I have ever seen and it rocks.
While you might not know the name Crystal Zapata, it’s possible that you’re aware of some of her work. Based in Chicago and a member of Type Directors Club, Society of Typographic Arts, and AIGA, she’s worked with Nike, Apple, Levi’s, and Calvin Klein to name but a few. She has a loud, graphic style that really captures the attention, which is arguably why top brands commission her for posters and features. It’s kind of inspired of Paulin to see that dynamic and extensive body of work and apply it to a watch.
Jumping to the dial, it features a stylised 12/3/6/9 display. Which is a classic dial layout where you only have Arabic numerals in the cardinal positions with the intervening hours typically denoted by shaped indexes. Here though, Zapata has stretched and blurred the Arabic numerals so that they occupy the entire span of the watch’s display. It’s inspired by the big picture of horology, timekeeping on an astronomical scale as the Earth rotates around the sun.
Think of it like one of those long exposure pictures of the night sky where the stars get blurred out as they appear to spin overhead. Stars are extra relevant because the minute track features small five-pointed stars every five minutes and the seconds hand counterweight is also a star. The idea of constellations is also important in how the blurred design was actually implemented on the dial, as Crystal’s design had to be translated into an actual actionable manufacturing process. They achieved this by using lots of small dots, like a constellation, that allow a bit of the dial colour from below to bleed through, creating the impression of a blur.
Speaking of dial colour, there are two to choose from. The first is an off-white with sky blue numerals and the second is a dark blue with white numerals – each inspired by a different time of day. Both versions are nice but for me it has to be that day version with the pale dial and blue markings, it fits the retro, 70s/80s aesthetic that Paulin has cultivated so well.
Structurally and mechanically, the Paulin Watches Zapata Modul is identical to the Modul Quartz. Meaning it measures a svelte 35mm x 8.2mm with a turtle-like shape and brushed lugs. The movement inside is the ETA 955.112. It would be nice if there were a mechanical edition of the watch as well but that’s sadly not the case.
Priced at £450, it’s a fun, funky watch that matches the current tone of British watch design perfectly. Quirky and unafraid of unusual concepts and vibrant colours.
Price and Specs:
More details at Paulin.
