Hodinkee’s latest collaboration revives a rare 1950s gilt-dial technique in a $1,000 automatic diver limited to just 250 pieces. The Hodinkee Paulin Mara automatic dive watch features a genuine gold-plated gilt dial, a stainless steel case, and a Japanese Miyota movement. Courtesy Image Men’s Journal aims to feature only the best products and services.
If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission. Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing. Hodinkee has been on a roll with its limited-edition watch collaborations, but its latest might be the coolest yet.
The new Paulin Mara Limited Edition for Hodinkee is a $1,000 dive watch that brings back a nearly forgotten gilt-dial technique from the 1950s. And with just 250 being made, this vintage-inspired diver could be one of the most coveted affordable watch releases of 2026. Created with Glasgow-based watchmaker Paulin, the 39.7mm automatic dive watch features a genuine gold-plated gilt dial, a stainless steel case, and a Japanese Miyota movement.
Unlike modern watches that simply imitate the look of vintage gilt dials, the Mara uses a traditional process to achieve the real thing. It’s an impressive level of craftsmanship for a watch at this price—and another standout collaboration from Hodinkee. To that end, the pair tapped Paulin’s production partner in Germany to execute the gilding process.
Each dial produced for the time-only watch starts as a brass blank. It is first electroplated in gold. The minute track and text are then printed with a chemical resistant barrier before the dial is galvanic-bath-plated matte black.
When the barrier is stripped away, the gold is revealed below the finish. The remaining print is applied in lacquer, and covered with a protective clear coat. The hour markers are hand-painted in antiqued-tone, Super-LumiNova, matched to the fill on the sword-style hands and bezel.
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