US independent brand Papar Watch Company brings a distinctive new perspective on watchmaking. Established by a husband-and-wife team, Josh and Emily Blank, Papar builds its watches around a distinctly personal vision. While exploring the brutalist landscapes of Mexico and watching his wife and daughters make paper planes, Josh came up with an idea that would go on to shape Papar’s distinctive design language.
Now based in the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts, Papar set out to find new ways to tell time. Their vision eventually took shape in the Anillo, the brand’s first watch, which stands out with a architectural case and sector dial design. The 36mm GMT is powered by a Miyota 9075 movement and features a secondary inner dial that acts as a 24-hour rotating display. Perhaps the most eye-catching detail is the color-shifting moon cutout at the top of the dial, which subtly transitions from light to dark as the day turns into night.
The brand’s name represents a clever blend of the words “papel” (paper) and “doblar” (to fold) in Spanish, which directly references its design inspiration. The first creation Blank envisioned was a watch with a distinctive way of showing GMT time. Beyond the technical achievement of developing the products, Papar sees its timepieces as more than instruments for telling the time, but as objects that foster emotional connection.
Papar Watches HIGHLIGHTS
The crescent moon joins the dive
With their second watch series, the Cenote, Papar takes the classic dive watch in an unexpected direction. Made of titanium and ceramic, these pieces retain the angular, edgy case shape of the previous model. The unique crescent cutout now serves as the 12-hour marker. Unlike on the Anillo, the indices also appear as cutouts that change colour over the course of the month, giving the Cenote a highly dynamic appearance.
The understated dial that keeps you guessing
Papar is taking architecturally-inspired watch design to the next level with the Vuelte model, which is now available at Time+Tide. Betting on minimalism, the Vuelte offers a dial that is almost devoid of most indicators and details. The brand's distinctive crescent moon motif resides on a central elevated disk, and the minute hand with a red-tipped indicator emerges from underneath it. The real standout, however, is the wandering hour aperture that travels around the dial, marking the passage of time in a distinctive way.
