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Rado’s Continued Path to Success: Ceramics, Design & Craftmanship

Rado’s three distinct timepieces represent a harmonious blend of design, materials engineering, and craftsmanship.

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Rado’s Continued Path to Success: Ceramics, Design & Craftmanship

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Rado’s three distinct timepieces represent a harmonious blend of design, materials engineering, and craftsmanship. Captain Cook high-tech ceramic dive watch stands out with its rose-gold PVD accents, intricate skeleton movement, and bold design elements. The True Square Open Heart pays homage to Rado’s history of square-shaped watches, combining strict geometry with rounded corners in a sleek and sophisticated design. And in a departure from traditional watch designs, the Rado Centrix Open Heart symbolizes everlasting love and timelessness.

 

Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton

The original Captain Cook watch, developed by Rado, marked a significant milestone in the evolution of dive watches. Designed to withstand the rigorous demands of underwater exploration, the watch features a durable stainless steel case, a rotating bezel, and is water-resistant up to 300 meters. This model quickly ascended to iconic status and set a new standard for future dive watches.

 

Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton

Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton

 

Over the years, Rado has continued to enhance the Captain Cook collection through innovative features and materials. In 1986, the company introduced high-tech ceramic—a material processed through a meticulous and controlled method. This involves the shaping of extremely pure and finely calibrated powders of aluminum oxide, zirconium oxide, and silicon nitride, which possess uniform grain sizes, into a predetermined form before being sintered at high temperatures. As a result, Rado’s high-tech ceramic exhibits an exceptional level of density and hardness, reaching 1,250 on the Vickers hardness scale.

 

The Captain Cook Skeleton series continues its successful trajectory with rose-gold PVD accents on the crown and bezel, maintaining its well-recognized and cherished design elements. The model features an iconic box-shaped sapphire crystal, treated with anti-reflective coating on both sides, revealing a sophisticated, smoke-tinted dial that enhances the character alongside the skeleton movement. This movement showcases a detailed, transparent plate and intricate geometrical design.

 

 

The design ethos of the Captain Cook is characterized by a virile, rhythmic visual composition. This is emphasized by bold and large bezel markers, numerals, hands, and indices. For optimal visibility in low-light conditions, these components are treated with a special black Super-LumiNova that emits a distinctive, space-age blue luminescence. The comfort provided by the high-tech ceramic is integral to the line’s success, where the monobloc assembly ensures a surprisingly streamlined case profile. The luxurious feel of high-tech ceramic extends into a beautifully crafted three-row bracelet in matching matte-black, complemented by a titanium three- fold clasp with opposing ceramic push buttons for secure, easy handling.

 

Adventure and ruggedness are seamlessly blended with sophisticated design elements in this new Captain Cook model. The rotatable bezel and crown are constructed from stainless steel, elegantly finished in rose-gold color through PVD treatment. This not only allows for crisp, well-defined bezel teeth but also enhances the watch’s sporty and robust character. The bezel is further accentuated with a laser- etched, anti-fingerprint high-tech ceramic insert in a masculine matte black, matching the case and bracelet. This special insert features markers and numerals also in rose-gold color, creating a striking contrast against the darker ceramic elements.

 

Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton

Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton

 

Water resistance up to 300m is guaranteed by high- quality components such as a screw-down crown and precise Rado assembly, showcasing the brand’s mastery in the Art of Ceramic production and cutting-edge technology.

 

Performance is paramount with the proven and reliable 25-jewel R808 automatic movement. Rigorously tested in five different positions and equipped with an antimagnetic Nivachron hairspring, it ensures reliable precision and boasts an impressive 80-hour power reserve. Visibility of the intricate movement and its layered components is achieved through a second sapphire crystal embedded in the black PVD-coated titanium case back, allowing admiration from both top and underside views.

 

 

Tech Specs: Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton

Reference: R32192152
Movement: Self-winding caliber R808; 80-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds
Case: 43mm; matte plasma high-tech ceramic, with rose gold colored PVD coated stainless steel bezel, and titanium and sapphire crystal caseback; water resistant to 300m
Dial: Black with black tinted sapphire crystal; brushed rose gold colored applied hour markers with white Super-LumiNova
Strap: Plasma high-tech ceramic bracelet; titanium triple folding clasp with Ceramos push-buttons
Price: USD 4,400

 

True Square Open Heart

In the historical chronology of Rado’s product offerings, square-shaped watches have been a part of the portfolio since the mid-1970s. The 1990 Ceramica model, however, is a pivotal milestone in the brand’s history, marking Rado’s inaugural square timepiece crafted entirely from high- tech ceramic, including the bracelet, crown, and case. This innovative design established the cornerstone for the distinctive aesthetic that is now characteristic of all Rado ceramic watches. A noteworthy counterpart to the Ceramica model, the True Square, skillfully melds the strict geometry of its square casing with gently rounded corners.

 

True Square Open Heart

True Square Open Heart

 

The Rado True Square Open Heart elegantly showcases the brand’s legacy of iconic square designs through its meticulously engineered injection-molded monobloc case and bracelet, crafted from glossy white high-tech ceramic. This model captivates with its sophisticated aesthetics, featuring gently curved corners and sleek dial visuals. It offers a mesmerizing display of the automatic movement in action, creating a stunning visual interplay within the timepiece.

 

The watch measures an impressively slim 38 millimeters in diameter and has a height of just 9.7 millimeters, ensuring a subtle, flush fit against the wrist. Despite its robust appearance, it weighs only 120 grams, affirming its status as a remarkably lightweight accessory. The case is beautifully finished with a titanium caseback and a sapphire display window, enhancing its luxury appeal. Furthermore, it has acceptable water resistance rating of up to 50 meters, ensuring durability and resilience in daily encounters.

 

 

The Square Automatic Open Heart is distinguished by its full-blown skeleton dial layout, which is both intricate and elegant. It features golden hands and gilt-edged cut-outs that lend an exclusive, upscale touch to the overall design. The dial is adorned with 12 premium diamonds that serve as hour markers, set against a vertically brushed background with yellow gold- toned bevels. This exquisite timepiece is complemented by a polished white high-tech ceramic bracelet, secured with a robust titanium clasp, marrying comfort with luxury.

 

At the core of this refined timepiece lies the Rado R734 automatic movement, which can be admired through the intricate pattern of windows on the dial. The movement and its holder are decorated with some of the finest finishes known in Swiss watchmaking. These include the beautifully crafted balance, gears, and polished components, all showcased prominently. The movement not only captivates with its visual appeal but also impresses with its functionality, featuring an 80-hour power reserve that ensures reliability and endurance for daily wear. Decorative touches such as circular grain decoration and a holder adorned with a Côte de Genève pattern further enhance its sophisticated allure.

 

 

Rado True Square Open Heart is not just a timepiece; it is a statement of art and engineering, offering both stunning looks and enduring performance.

 

Tech Specs: True Square Open Heart

Reference: R27073702
Movement: Self-winding caliber R734; 80-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds
Case: 38mm, polished white, monobloc construction, sandblasted titanium case back, polished high-tech ceramic crown, water-resistant to 50m
Dial: Vertical brushed with yellow gold colored bevels, diamond as hour markers
Strap: Polished high-tech ceramic, titanium 3-fold clasp
Price: USD 3,150

 

Centrix Open Heart Super Jubilé

Bridges have long served as powerful metaphors for the enduring bonds that unite soulmates.

 

In the realm of horology, where tradition frequently converges with artisanship, the Rado Centrix Open Heart emerges as an emblem of everlasting love and timelessness. Distinct from conventional watches that emphasize traditional contours and meticulous craftsmanship, the Centrix Open Heart introduces a unique narrative, integrating design elements that represent eternal love, treasured moments, and the essence of pure-hearted journeys.

 

Centrix Open Heart Super Jubilé

Centrix Open Heart Super Jubilé

 

The watch face of the Centrix Open Heart is designed to symbolize the concept of eternal love, reminiscent of a bridge connecting the present with the transcendent. The dial features two soft arcs, the upper of which centers around the pivot of the hands, representing this metaphorical bridge. The design elegantly extends outward, mirroring the traversal across life’s obstacles. Prominently, a large aperture displays the advanced R734 automatic movement with an impressive 80-hour power reserve, and plates and bridges decorated with an elegant circular-grained pattern. This feature is further enhanced by 86 full-cut Top Wesselton diamonds that add a radiant sparkle across the bridge, accompanied by twelve additional gemstones to mark each hour, guiding those who cherish their time together.

 

Centrix Open Heart Super Jubilé

Centrix Open Heart Super Jubilé

 

The color of the dial’s background is thoughtfully matched to the central links of the bracelet, crafted from Rado’s signature high-tech ceramic, while the case and external bracelet components are finished in a warm, rose-gold-colored PVD stainless steel. The watch is equipped with a slightly domed sapphire crystal edged with a rounded finish, which improves legibility through an anti-reflective coating applied to both sides. The elegance is completed with tastefully metallized branding and model details in a matching rose-gold hue on the interior of the crystal.

 

 

Tech Specs: Centrix Open Heart Super Jubilé

Reference: R30029942
Movement: Self-winding caliber R734; 80-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds
Case: 35mm, stainless steel / PVD, water-resistant to 50m
Dial: Dark brown mother-of-pearl dial with 12 diamonds, 86 diamonds along the lower arch of the bridge
Strap: Brown high-tech ceramic middle links
Price: USD 3,650

Brands:
Rado