Behind The Design Series | Paulin Watches

 Eleanor Paulin, Designer at Paulin Watches 

For me, one of the most satisfying things that has come from writing this blog is being able to meet the people behind the designs. The last few years have been a great time to be a supporter of British design; not only have independent craftspeople and makers weaved their way into our everyday feeds, they have captured peoples' imagination and slowly given us time to follow their creative path.

But being an independent designer or brand doesn't instantly give you a bye to a quality product; a lot of brands pass me by for not being my taste, being poorly made, or something that's just a carbon copy of the next. You have to pick and choose – investing time into researching the the ideas behind the product, and if it's right for you.

The watch market is booming right now, with a definite Instagram-affect happening as we speak. But to set yourself apart from the others you need to be offering something a little different.
 

When you invest time and money into start-ups and smaller companies, in the main, you're backing the people that make the products happen, and I guess, for me, that's the most rewarding part. It's for the passion.

Paulin Watches is a great example; a British designed + built watchmaker, based in the heart of one of Glasgow's oldest districts. A trip up to Glasgow is always met with open arms, and over the years I've made some great friends there. I visited Paulin's workshop – which doubles up as their retail outlet – on a very soggy Tuesday morning in July, and the team were just as I imagined; warm, open and obsessed with their craft.

Having written about Paulin's debut collection back in December 2014 I've been keen to see their design process ever since. That morning I met with Paulin's designer, Eleanor Paulin, who walked me through the design process; from early sketches and CAD drawings, to watch components and their handmade British leather straps. 

No detail is too small, or ever left to chance. Take their meticulously designed packaging for example; with the box being produced by a 6th generation London-based maker, using an eco-friendly Portuguese cork inlay, acid-free tissue paper and user manual + notepad being printed on Fedrigoni paper.

I got a first-hand look at the step-by-step process of creating a bespoke watch strap. The starting point is choosing your leather; from British Bridal, to German Stingray and Cordovan (in seemingly endless colours and variations), followed by using traditional tools to cut the leather to length, round off the edges, hand-stitching for durability, punching the size holes and bonding the leather together using glue and dye.

Eleanor comes from a strong design heritage, with her great grandfather, George Henry Paulin, being a prolific sculptor in the early to mid 20th century. After studying Fashion Design at Edinburgh Collage of Art, Eleanor and her two sisters drew inspiration from their creative background and started up Paulin Watches in 2014.

 

 C201B Chronograph watch, by Paulin

 Commuter A watch with Cordovan leather strap, by Paulin

The gloomy weather didn't dampen my spirits as I spent most of the day with the Paulin team, hearing about their design inspiration, construction methods, the love for Glasgow's creative community and future plans. Their product is unique and well designed, but without passionate people behind the company there wouldn't be that infectious attraction.

It's a very exciting time for makers all around the world. From creating real connections on Instagram + Snapchat, and collaborating with their peers, to pushing themselves to create exciting and innovative products. It's a part of the creative industry that I'm extremely passionate about, and I'm looking to connect with more makers and designers over the next few months.

Glasgow is a great place to make these things happen, with the city's vast creative culture and access to resources. It's the people that really make Glasgow, and great people are making Paulin Watches happen.

Paulin Watches range from £180-£250. Read more about them here. Visit their workshop + store at Paulin Watches, 61 Parnie Street, Glasgow, G1 5LU, United Kingdom.

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