Tag Archives: Rado

Rado’s Mastery of Their Past Paves the Way Forward for Their Future

Through a cursory glance at Rado’s catalogue, it is easy to mistakenly identify it as a relatively new brand. The watches on display are mostly imbued with ceramics, giving it a glossy demeanour signalling to the customer that these are modern, high-tech watches. While the watches of Rado are modern and made through high-technology processes, you would be surprised at just how much heritage can be revealed as soon as you scratch the surface. Well, technically speaking, most of the watches at Rado are near un-scratchable but you get the meaning. Beneath the glossy, ceramic veneer, lies a brand story that spans more than a hundred years, dating back to 1917.

It is surprising, isn’t it? that the story of Rado began that long ago. Put them beside any other watch brand that has been around for the same amount of time, and it is highly likely that their watches will look worlds apart. And this is because, ever since its founding, the brand has had a fascination with innovation. Their tagline sums it up “If we can imagine it, we can make it, and if we can make it, we will!” With such unrestrained creativity, it is no surprise that most of the watches to come out of Rado defy conventional watch shapes to produce avant-garde silhouettes. However, this is not to say that in moving forward, they have discarded their history entirely. In this story, we take a look at the latest addition to the Captain Cook collection which represents a prime example of how Rado’s past continues to guide their present, or as they put it – how their heritage masters their future.

Spirit of Innovation

Although not expressly stated, we think that Rado’s philosophy regarding constant innovation is deeply rooted within its origin story. Unlike most watch brands, Rado didn’t start as a brand. It was founded as the Schlup & Co. watchmaking factory by the brothers Fritz, Ernst and Werner in 1917. In the beginning, they simply converted a part of their parent’s home in Lengnau, Switzerland into an atelier and through their industrious spirit, the trio began to grow their list of clients. By the end of the Second World War, they grew into one of the largest movement manufactures in the world. During this time, they assembled and finished watches primarily for the American market, and mostly for other brands. It wasn’t until the 1950s that they began manufacturing watches under the name Rado.

Establishing the business and growing it to the size that Rado managed, for sure required an innovative mindset. At the time, industrial processes were not as streamlined as it is today and so most likely every watch manufacture had to continuously evolve to create the most efficient processes. This mindset prevailed and when Rado started creating watches under its own brand name in the 1950s, it brought with them the same spirit of continuous improvement. A case in point is the Golden Horse collection in 1957 which brought with it a waterproof case for the first time, improving the usability of the watch. Then, in 1962 they debuted the very first Captain Cook watch which took water resistance to the next level.

It was also around this time that their search for better, more robust and scratch-resistant materials led them to hard metals like those found in the Diastar case. Their foray into the material sciences then continued to evolve throughout the 1980s and by the 1990s they arrived at what many would call, Rado’s signature element, ceramics.

Quest For Hardness

Rado’s foray and subsequent mastering of Ceramics can perhaps be attributed to the continuation of what they managed to achieve with the ultra-hard Diastar back in 1962. The impetus for this collection was to create a case that could not be scratched and today, ceramic is one of the materials that offers an even greater level of hardness. 1,250 Vickers of hardness to be precise and just as a comparison, stainless steel clocks in at about 180 Vickers.

Additionally, ceramic is also chemically inert and biocompatible, which means, the material is hypoallergenic and completely complementary to the human body. In fact, Zirconium oxide (ceramic) was once used to create the femoral cap in hip implants due to these exact properties. This biocompatibility is also perhaps one of the reasons why people often remark that ceramic feels like nothing else to the touch. It has a sort of silkiness that gives the wearer a feeling of extreme comfort on the wrist. Last but not least, ceramic also doesn’t discolour when exposed to ultraviolet light. Meaning that Rado’s ceramic watches will retain their vibrant colours throughout the watch’s entire lifetime.

With that being said, however, it is these fantastic properties of ceramic as a material that also make it incredibly difficult to work with. Especially in the watchmaking industry when production tolerances can sometimes come down to mere micrometres in deviation. Like all ceramics, zirconium oxide also begins as an ultra-fine powder and with its melting point at 2000°C special processes are needed to shape it into watch cases. You can’t melt the ceramic and pour it into moulds because most ceramics melt at temperatures higher than metal.

Achieving their title of “Master of Materials” took more than just a few years of research & development and investment from Rado. Throughout the years, they created and perfected their ceramic-making techniques. Today the Rado manufacture has machines for injection moulding, specialised formulas that can processes that produce ceramics in a wide array of colours, ovens that can sinter ceramics at extremely high temperatures over many hours, and even an oven designed to discharge gas activated by plasma at over 20,000°C.

Cooling Off

The Captain Cook collection is currently one of Rado’s most celebrated models and for good reason. It is bold and rugged, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a watch enthusiast who can pass up a great dive watch. The modern Captain Cook watches we see today were only relaunched relatively recently in 2017. Before that, the watch was discontinued and laid dormant in Rado’s archives for almost 40 years. This fantastic dive watch was first launched during the same year as the Diastar in 1962 and was created to address the growing number of recreational divers thanks to the improvements and widespread acceptance of scuba diving equipment.

As with most dive watches of the past, the Captain Cook watches also had a uni-directional rotating bezel that would help divers keep track of time during their dives. These bezels played such a pivotal role in diving that they soon became the defining characteristics of a dive watch. Of course, this design feature had to be complemented by an equally precise movement and great legibility for it to become a functional tool for divers. Then, in 1968, the Captain Cook was discontinued, and it was surprising that it took Rado nearly 50 years to resurrect this storied collection.

In 2017, inspired by the past, Captain Cook once again hoisted its sails and was re-released, this time for a different type of diver, the desk diver. Today, nearly half a century later, the role of a mechanical dive watch lies in the fulfilment of emotional appeal as opposed to functionality, as digital dive watches can simply do so much more. However, this is not to say that these dive watches are not functional. It is a testament to the luxury watch industry that even if dive watches like this Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton will probably not be worn while diving to extreme depths, it is fully capable of doing so. It still has the unidirectional bezel, a precise mechanical movement to ensure accurate timekeeping, fantastic legibility and most importantly a water resistance of up to 300m.

The Korean actor and singer, Ji Chang-Wook, is a brand ambassador for Rado

This watch is the perfect embodiment of how Rado uses its heritage to master its future. Because even as the watch takes its design from an intrinsic part of Rado’s history, these new Captain Cook watches have been given every update in Rado’s playbook. The most obvious of which is the high-tech ceramic case that bestows the Captain Cook with interesting colours not usually seen on dive watch cases. As with all Rado’s high-tech ceramic cases, this one also has the same scratch-proof properties which make it perfect considering the dive watch was created for more rugged use. The use of ceramic on a dive watch also provides one unexpected bonus, corrosion resistance. Saltwater is extremely harsh on materials and although stainless steel cases fare in the sea just as well, it doesn’t hurt to have this extra bit of assurance that the watch will stay as lovely as the day it came out of the box even with multiple dive excursions beneath the sea.

The first reference for Rado’s Captain Cook novelties for the year comes in a stunning version with a blue high-tech ceramic case for the first time. This blue high-tech ceramic case of the Captain Cook will also be paired with either a blue bezel for the core collection and a red or yellow bezel for the limited edition of 250 pieces worldwide. The version with the blue bezel will offer a matte blue ceramic case while the other two will come with a polished blue ceramic case. This isn’t your grandfather’s dive watch, that’s for sure. Its modern and conspicuous design language was made to suit those who like to make a statement with what they choose to put on their wrist. For instance, instead of a traditional three-link bracelet, Rado has decided to offer these watches with a more dynamic rubber strap, also in blue. And with fashion tipping towards the more casual end, the watch will most likely transition from the workday to a night out without a problem.

For those looking for a Captain Cook with a little more subtle case, there is also a version of the Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton that will be available in an olive green colour. This reference was inspired by the world’s cities that have become a fair bit greener as compared to before. Thus, the green chosen for the watch is in a little bit of a darker hue and is paired with an extremely elegant PVD rose-gold detailing perfect for those ‘diving’ into an urban playground. Additionally, this version of the watch will also come with the signature ceramic three-link bracelet. And as mentioned before, with comfort being one of the benefits of using ceramic materials, this is now even more apparent through the use of a ceramic bracelet as it drapes effortlessly on the wrist of the wearer.

Compounding the complexity of these Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic models is also the skeletonised movement, the Calibre R808, fully revealed by the transparent dial. This movement is leagues beyond the calibre present in the first Captain Cook from 1962, bringing with it all the advancements in movement technology. The inclusion of a Nivachron™ hairspring within the calibre means that the watch is now resistant to magnetic fields and thanks to updates in the powertrain, the R808 is also capable of a massive 80 hours of power reserve. To ensure that the watch performs with the utmost precision, it has undergone accuracy adjustments in five different positions.

Struck Gold: Rado’s Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton Unearthed

 

As far as dive watches go, the Captain Cook from Rado often gets neglected when enthusiasts gather to discuss references from the past. After all, the watch was only made for about six years in the 1960s before it was discontinued. And it had no significant ties with military forces, as all the most prominent dive watches at the time seemed to have. All it had however is the name of the intrepid explorer James Cook on its dial accompanied by Rado’s famed anchor. But, as we will soon find out, Cook’s adventurous spirit and his embracing of the importance of science would create a ripple effect that extends to the present and bring Rado’s humble dive watch back into the folds of conversation among enthusiasts.

Since the rebirth of the Captain Cook collection in 2017, Rado has updated each successive generation with their latest watchmaking technologies. And as the collection grew, so did the boldness of its ideas. For 2023, the latest Captain Cook High Tech Ceramic Skeleton has emerged out of the sea to showcase not only Rado’s technical side of watchmaking but also reinforce its status as a Master of Materials.

New World Exploration

To understand the Captain Cook at present, we must first dive into its past. Although the watches of Rado look as futuristic as watches come, its history actually dates back to 1917 when brothers Fritz, Ernst and Werner Schlup converted part of their parent’s home into the base of operations for Schlup & Co. After the Second World War, they had become one of the largest producers of watch movements, all the while upholding the ‘Swiss-made’ quality standard. It was around then that they decided it was time to launch their own brand and thus, the name Rado was born, based on the Esperanto word for wheel.

As with all mechanical watches at the time, innovation was synonymous with necessity. And the first Rado-branded watch, the Golden Horse, was created in 1957 based on a water-resistant case construction. In 1962 the Rado Diastar was created with an ultra-resistant hard metal, earning it the title of the world’s first scratchproof watch. It was in this same year that the first Captain Cook debuted.

An advertisement featuring the name Rado circa 1952.

In the 1960s there was a steady uptake of recreational diving thanks to the invention of scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) gear like the Aqua-Lung by French engineer, Émile Gagnan, and the world-renowned explorer, Jacques Cousteau. To tap into this highly lucrative market, Rado created their own version of a dive watch, offering a timepiece with a greater level of water resistance and a timing bezel that was essential for divers to keep track of their dive times.

Back then, the accuracy of the timekeepers and the reliability of these bezels could mean the difference between life and death as it was used to keep track of decompression timers. Decompression is the act of taking breaks at specific depths so that the body has time to naturally dissipate the nitrogen that has seeped into the tissue from breathing the compressed air within the scuba tanks. If the timing is not adhered to, the nitrogen will expand as the outside pressure decreases creating bubbles in the joints, lungs, and/or spinal column which depending on the severity can be fatal.

Rado christened their dive watch collection after the legendary British explorer James Cook. Captain Cook was most known for his expeditions to the Pacific Oceans where he circumnavigated and mapped New Zealand. Cook was also revered for his navigational prowess relying on astronomy, and accurate marine chronometers to determine his position on the globe. Additionally, he often carried several scientists on his voyages allowing them to make significant observations and discoveries like the cataloguing of over 3,000 plant species during his first voyage in 1768 and on his second voyage, the artist William Hodges produced notable landscape paintings of Tahiti and Easter Islands.

The New Expedition

One of the hallmarks of a great design is that no matter how many years go by, its form and function remain relevant in the present. If you look at the first Rado Captain Cook launched in 1962, everything was designed to be both functional and beautiful at the same time. The hour markers contrast against the background, the hands are large and obvious, and even the Rado insignia freely rotates not just as an aesthetic choice but back then, it was also used as an indicator to tell you when the watch needed to be serviced. Additionally, some other identifying traits of the Rado Captain Cook collection are the bezel that is sloped inwards and the box-style crystal.

After the Captain Cook was discontinued in 1968 it spent a good 40-plus years in hibernation and in 2017, in a move that took most of the watch industry completely by surprise, they relaunched a new Captain Cook that looked almost identical to its predecessor. All of the design cues of the original were still there, updated with modern movements and a better-constructed case of course. But the one thing that really caught the attention of aficionados was the fact that Rado decided to keep the sizing at 37mm.

A small dive watch was nothing special in 1962 but in 2017, when trends were leaning towards oversized chunky watches (especially so in the dive watch category), the creation of a small and svelte option was one that found its niche set of customers. This smaller size was also ahead of the game at the time as only now other brands have started to gravitate towards reducing the size of their watch cases.

Master of Materials

Extremely high temperatures are needed to create the glossy finish on Rado’s ceramic cases.

With Rado’s reputation for manipulating the ultra-hard, scratchproof, corrosion-resistant, lightweight and hypoallergenic ceramic material, it would only make sense for them to incorporate this highly technical material into the Captain Cook collection. Various forms of ceramics have been around for thousands of years, however, unlike its rudimentary forms like vases and bowls, the ceramics used in Rado’s manufactures are lightyears away in terms of technology.

Rado’s High-Tech Ceramic material starts out as ultra-fine zirconium oxide powder with a grain size of approximately 0.001mm, 50 times smaller than the diameter of human hair. After it is mixed with a binding agent, it is injected into a mould at 1,000 bars of pressure. Next, it enters a sintering process where it goes into an incredibly high-temperature oven of 1450°C and over many hours, this ceramic fully hardens. Then, specially designed diamond tools are used to rework the end product to achieve the strict tolerances needed for the case to ensure the watch can be assembled perfectly and to keep the integrity of the water resistance rating. Interestingly the high-tech ceramic, when it was first created, was only available in black. It was only in 1993 that coloured ceramics became available.

Rado has been constantly perfecting and updating their ceramic manipulation technologies for more than 35 years now and they have brought the craft to a point where they are now able to precisely control the outcome of the materials down to the precise shade of colour or even a specific texture on the surface. A case in point is their plasma finishing where the high-tech ceramic is subjected to yet another high-temperature process to give the material a permanent metallic shade without the use of any metallic content.

Past Meets Present

Since the return of the Captain Cook collection in 2017, many variants have been added to its repertoire with each successive year. But this year, their latest reference seems to have taken all the brand’s savoire faire and combined it into a single, all-encompassing watch – the Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton.

Let’s start with the case. From afar, the watch exudes all the design cues that identify it as a Captain Cook, the case shape, the sloping bezel, the arrow hour hand, and the box-style crystal are all there. However, it is only upon closer inspection that all the nuances of this fantastic timepiece become obvious. Firstly, the case is made entirely of plasma high-tech ceramic and its famed properties of extreme surface resistance. This makes it perfect for a dive watch that is usually worn in, shall we say, more adventurous situations. Additionally, the bezel and bracelet are also made from the same robust material.

For this reference, Rado chose a deep anthracite colour to represent the virile, primal forces of the mineral world. Various shades and finishing techniques are added to the case components to give the watch additional character. The matte finish of the monobloc case is contrasted visually with the circular brushed finish on the bezel insert. Even the bracelet offers centre links of a lighter shade and a glossy mirror finish for a more elegant look. Lastly, to give the watch that added pop of visual detail, the bezel is made in a rose-gold colour with matching bezel indicators.

As we dive deeper into this Captain Cook reference, the transparent dial offers an unbridled look into the new and improved skeletonised movement. The Calibre R808 skeleton has been reworked with a smart new geometry and the components are shaded in different tones to give it an architectural façade. The box-shaped sapphire crystal adds to this effect by increasing the visual depth, and to give all of it an air of mystery, the crystal has a lightly smoked tint. The movement itself is highly reliable with a Nivachron hairspring, offering unparalleled anti-magnetic properties. The power reserve for the movement is 80 hours which when fully wound will let the watch sit on a dresser over the weekend and still have more than enough juice to keep going when Monday rolls along.

Global Phenomenon

In tandem with the launch of the new Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton, they have also announced a new brand ambassador – Ji Chang-Wook. The popular South Korean is already a household name in his home country and with the K-wave hitting frenzied levels across the globe, Ji Chang-Wook is a name that clearly, most around the world are also familiar with.

Having got his start in the industry when he was just 20 years old, his fame sky-rocketed when he played a Korean-American speed skater in 2010’s Smile Again, which aired every weekday during prime time for 159 episodes. Since then, his acting career has also diversified with contemporary and historical characters across a broad range of film, television and web series formats. His versatility on screen is also mirrored in his ability to perfectly play an Emperor like in the drama Empress Ki or romantic roles like in Backstreet Rookie and Lovestruck in the City in the same convincing fashion.

“I have always been interested in Swiss watches, especially in unique designs and special materials, and I’m very happy to star in my new role as Brand Ambassador for Rado. The Captain Cook is such a beautiful watch, I look forward to wearing it whenever I can.” Comments Ji Chang-Wook.

In many ways, this Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton draws parallels to the brand’s South Korean ambassador. His diversified talent in multiple roles is similar to how the watch can fit into many daily roles. Designed with dive watch aesthetics, the Captain Cook is naturally rugged and fits casual dressing styles and yet, thanks to its unique grey and gold colour combination along with the polished centre links of the Plasma High-Tech Ceramic bracelet, the watch will look just at home in a suit or dinner jacket.

Even with his fame as an actor, Ji Chang-Wook doesn’t seem to be contented in just one realm of the entertainment industry. Despite being an award-winning actor, he still finds the time to actively dip his toe in the music industry. To date, he has appeared frequently in musicals and music videos and has even recorded a number of OSTs (Original Sound Tracks). For a man that seems like he wants to do it all, the watch is a perfect accompaniment to him, because through Rado’s constant pursuit of research and development when it comes to materials, the watch is created to withstand anything and everything life can throw at it. And the best part is, it does so with the utmost amount of style.

World of Watches Malaysia Summer 2023 issue is now on newsstands!

In the midst of the current heat wave in Malaysia, it is only fitting that we announce that Summer is here! The Summer 2023 issue of World of Watches Malaysia that is.

Yes, by now Watches & Wonders Geneva has come and gone and no doubt many of you have already seen an ample amount of coverage in digital form of the novelties coming out of the fair. However, as the hype, excitement and chaos dissipate, we report with more clarity what we think are the highlights and trends to come out of this important industry event. And for those who want to relive or experience missed moments, our Editors from Singapore and Thailand speak candidly about what went on within those hallowed halls.

On the cover is perhaps an unorthodox choice – Rado’s Captain Cook – however upon closer inspection, we think you will be just as surprised as we were to learn about the long and storied history of the brand along with all the technological innovation that went into this new skeletonised option.

Speaking of technological innovation, we also take a closer look at the material world. That is to say, the materials that Manufactures, Swiss or otherwise, are using to make their watch cases stand out from the pack. There are cases made from sapphire, ceramics, carbon and even a magical type of gold…

Pick up an issue of World of Watches Malaysia today, you won’t be disappointed. Or alternatively, if you can’t find a bookstore, join our subscription service and we’ll send the magazine to you. Oh, there is a digital version of the magazine on Magzster as well if you enjoy reading that way.

Timely Designs: The Complicated Relationship Between Watchmaking and Its Designs

Image: Rado

“I think what works about a collaboration like this is that it allows the watch brand to really go officially off-piste with its design,” says Tej Chauhan, the industrial designer behind everything from cutlery to hair-dryers, and one of five selected to produce their take on Rado’s True Square watch. “And I wanted a design that made people say ‘f*** me, what’s that?!’, to pay attention and get talking. There wasn’t any point if the resulting watch wasn’t different. It would just be another watch otherwise.”

That certainly cannot be said for Chauhan’s design, with its 1960s sci-fi inflections and, most strikingly of all, the fact that the case and padded leather strap are in a brighter shade of yellow. That almost did not come off — up to the wire it looked as though Rado’s engineers just could not make that bold shade without imperfections. But the result? The brand’s ecomm best-seller in the US — it is also reportedly the most popular of this series in Singapore. “Maybe that makes for room for Rado to do other watches in a similar vein,” says Chauhan.

It is the kind of collaborative success that — measured in excitement, if nothing else — has echoes back through watchmaking history over the second half of the 20th century and beyond. Many of the most innovative and/or memorable watches have been the result of work not by watch designers who have only ever designed watches — sometimes having worked their way up through the echelons of a single company — but of industrial designers versed in applying processes of ideation and a broad appreciation of materials and function turning their consideration to what a watch could be, aesthetically and functionally. Many of their new ideas would be borrowed by the more conventional, historical industry at large. Many of the watches would be called icons.

For example, Movado’s Museum Watch, with its single golden “sun” at the 12 o’clock position, was designed by the Russian-American designer Nathan George Horwitt (initially for Vacheron Constantin), and Hamilton’s Ventura by the space-age industrial designer Richard Arbib. Max Bill, the Swiss architect and artist, began a long relationship with Junghans which started in 1956 — the German company is still making his minimalistic designs, the likes of the Chronoscope, today. And the French watch manufacturer LIP effectively established its signature look — asymmetric cases and big, colourful pushers — through its work with the industrial designer Roger Tallon, who also designed projectors for Kodak and TGV high-speed trains for France. His Mach 2000 gave the mechanical watch a pop aesthetic that rescued it from high seriousness.

A recent iteration of the iconic Movado Museum Watch. Image: Movado

There are many more examples too. Giorgetto Giugiaro, the car designer behind the Maserati Ghibli, the VW Golf and the DeLorean of “Back to the Future” fame, as well as cameras for Nikon and firearms for Beretta, also designed a number of distinctively asymmetrical Speedmasters for Seiko, considered so futuristic it is what Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley wears in “Alien”. Post-modernist architect Michael Graves designed a number of watches for, tellingly, the likes of Pierre Junod — a company that has made a speciality of collaborating with young designers — and Alessi, which is not known for watches at all. Think too of Pierre Cardin, Dieter Rams or Jacob Jensen.

Indeed, each decade seems to have its industrial designer watch moment. In 1994, multi-disciplinary designer Marc Newson — who learned how to design watches hands-on, coming up with his first watch aged 23 and then making 100 of them himself — co-founded the Ikepod brand, which led to the likes of the Hemipode, with its pebble-like case and integrated strap. Meanwhile in 2010 Hermès commissioned the architect Marc Berthier – best known for his rubber-wrapped Tykho radio for Lexon — to create the limited edition Carre H, with its rounded square titanium case.

And all with good reason. “Watch brands often say their focus is on making extraordinary movements — and they are amazing — but often it can seem that nobody outside of their industry is showing them what else might be possible [with their designs],” says Vincent Fourdrinier, one-time designer of cars for the likes of Peugeot and Mitsubishi, and latterly of watches for the likes of Guy Ellia and Christophe Claret, including of pioneering uses of carbon fibre and sapphire crystal. He is just about to launch an exercise machine for sedentary desk jockeys.

“The fact is that the watch industry can be afraid of change — newness for many makers is just the same model in a new colour,” he chuckles. “So it sometimes turns to industrial designers to help it embrace genuinely new ideas, to help move everything forward. But it’s a slow process. Just look at how the industry laughed at the idea of the Apple watch. And how that now sells in numbers greater than the entire Swiss industry put together…”

Acclaimed British product designer Ross Lovegrove agrees. He is the man behind the HU “anatomical” watch for Issey Miyake and who was, for six years, the chief design officer of TAG Heuer, for which he designed the flippable analogue/digital Monaco 69, and a super-light, clasp-less golf watch (which he first declined to do on the basis that a golf watch “is the last thing you actually need when playing golf — it actually just gets in the way”)

Classics in watchmaking function like the Porsche 911, evolving rather than shifting gears dramatically. Image: Porsche

“When I first started working with TAG Heuer they looked at my concepts and told me that ‘you clearly have no idea how to design watches’,” he laughs — Lovegrove instead designed award-winning pens and eyewear for the brand. “So suddenly they said ‘why don’t you design our watches?’… As with chairs and lamps, I think most industrial designers want to have a go at mechanical watches too. It’s just that there are so many contradictions in their designs, something ludicrous about the ambition towards precision and performance. In the end all that calibration is about an excellence in jewellery really, because take that away and you have a Swatch. Yet it’s because I’m not a nerdy watch guy that I felt I could respond to that.”

Not that industrial designers do not often find attempting to design a watch challenging — considering how its look and function need to be in synch, how it has to be comfortable to wear and easy to use, and so on. Indeed, over recent decades other design superstars, from Phillipe Starck to Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid, have all taken a crack at designing watches, not all of which have made it into production, even fewer of which have managed to cross the seeming divide between the worlds of capital D design and of horology.

“When you look at the history of watchmaking not many people from outside of the industry have had an influence on watch design, and, in fact, not many designers outside of the industry have been particularly successful with a design either,” argues Christian-Louis Col, Ikepod’s owner. “You really need to appreciate the fine technical issues, the construction, and a vast majority of designs by non-watch designers tend to be unfeasible.”

Image: Rado

It is why Xavier Perrenoud, founder of the watch design studio XJC, describes watches as — atypically for most products “a mixture of technology and ancient culture — a talismanic object that is worn close to the body. [And that] requires a great knowledge of proportions and ergonomics.” Each time he designs a watch he is working, he says, with “the different craftsmanship processes of another brand culture”.

Certainly Eric Giroud agrees that, because of this unusual mix of material and mythology, watch design can be harder than it looks. Giroud — the man behind many watches, from the avantgarde for MB&F, to more traditional looks for the likes of Vacheron Constantin and Tissot, among others — started out designing everything from lamps to mobile phones before the design agency at which he worked was tasked with designing a watch. He took the project on because nobody else wanted to.

A Maurice De Mauriac dive watch designed by Fabian Schwaerzler.

“Dealing with a watch that’s already regarded as an icon is particularly difficult,” he explains. “Of course, some brands are lucky to have such a great design to start with — like Porsche does with the 911, for example — but that also makes them very much more mindful of the matter of legacy over the design work. These designs become stuck in evolution, rather than revolution. And it’s a fascinating nightmare to find the right way of moving such designs on. But you have to remember that the watch industry is very particular about its ways and the meaning of its products. It takes a long time to really appreciate that.”

“All the same, it’s not just a coincidence that many of the most striking watch designs [of recent times] have come from industrial designers, I think because they necessarily have a more open mind to design possibilities,” suggests Giroud, who contends that the shyness with which major brands employ designers from other disciplines — there is often a reluctance to even publicly admit that they do — is “to close themselves off from another point of view, one which can result in some very cool products. The fact is that [external] designers or artists haven’t been stuck in the culture of one brand for years.”

“The vast majority of watch companies have internal design teams — occasionally asking externally for ideas — and so inevitably they’re influenced by the world in which they work. And that can be limiting, with regards to considerations regarding construction or costs for instance,” agrees Col. “In the end it’s creativity that suffers.”

And there lies a debate in itself — is understanding the process of watch creation what makes for a successful commercial watch, or is not being so intimate with them, as industrial designers typically find themselves, what allows them to be readier to break the rules and drive watch design in new directions?

A Charles Zuber Perfos Classic designed by Eric Giroud.

“Professional watch designers within the watch industry have a much broader horizon of what is possible and feasible in the design process and production of the company. So I would say the really longterm, groundbreaking designs are made by them,” argues the product designer Fabian Schwaerzler, who has designed watches for Maurice De Mauriac. “But this process takes time and it doesn’t always look innovative at first glance. Then there are the career changers — they are actually less professional, but they can think outside the box. This can lead to very interesting new approaches. Mechanical watches are almost perfect instruments, but [for example] technology is progressing and opening up completely new possibilities.”

The watch industry — never one to make stars of its own designers — is, naturally, not always open to having its conventions questioned. “You know, it’s very difficult to knock on the door of a prominent company and say ‘this is what I propose you do’! It’s very pretentious. It’s a delicate situation and you will never be recognised for your talent,” as Gerald Genta, arguably the world’s most acclaimed specialist watch designer once put it. “When he started his work he was going round the different factories with his designs and was even asked ‘yes, but do watches need designers?’,” as his wife Evelyn Genta recalled in 2013.

Jump forward half a century and perhaps not much has changed. Thomas Hohnel, the industrial design-trained senior product designer for Nomos Glashütte, stresses that for many of the more historic names in watchmaking, it is simply that the emphasis remains on calibres and craftsmanship, and on following certain rules that have a solid track record in what is, after all, a specialist market.

“It’s heritage first, design second. And obviously this runs counter to the mentality of industrial designers to research and develop new ideas and push materials technology in ways that are adaptable to all kinds of topics,” he says. But, he adds, there’s space to flip this too: Nomos, which runs its design department out of Berlin — in another city from manufacturing, all the better to tap metropolitan design talent and the spirit of the Deutsche Werkbund — underscores its need to “make a contemporary statement [with its products] and be seen to be relevant to today”.

Eric Giroud

It is why Nomos also looks for inspiration from the likes of design agency Studio Aisslinger — with everything from chairs to restaurant design in its remit; and why it commissioned the likes of architect and furniture designer Hannes Wettstein to design a number of watches, including a deeply intuitive GMT model that, by way of a simple, unobtrusive red indicator, allows the wearer to track the time back home.

Yet, inevitably, this is not a discussion without its controversy. Not everyone is convinced that the watch industry’s occasional recourse to designers from other disciplines is necessarily well intended. Benoit Mintiens has, in his time, designed prams, trains and aircraft cabin interiors, and was inspired to launch his brand Ressence after a dispiriting visit to the Baselworld watch trade fair “at which it seemed everybody was just doing the same thing,” he recalls. He laments that the so-called Quartz crisis of the late 1960s — when the mechanical watch-making industry suddenly found its product outmoded and seemingly out-dated — “saw the importance and relevance of progressive products in the watch industry sidelined in favour of branding”.

The RJ Romain Jerome Spacecraft.

“That’s fine,” he adds, “because most people buy a mechanical watch for the brand, for the reassurance of status — although it must be intensely frustrating for [in-house] watch designers when they’re essentially asked to dress a watch and not get to the core of the physical design, the aesthetic of which is just a result of rethinking how the whole concept. Watch manufacturers don’t have to devise especially original or progressive products because the customer doesn’t typically want that. It’s why watches that do rethink the whole concept tend to stand out as they do throughout watchmaking history.”

Image: Monaco Legend Auctions

“I’m not convinced that many companies’ use of external [industrial] designers demonstrates a change of approach either. To me they seem to use them as they might Brad Pitt or those half naked girls they used to put next to cars at auto shows — to talk up their super boring products,” laughs Mintiens.

Yet might the global reach and customer access of the Internet — and the many independent watch brands that it has afforded over recent years — bring about a new era in more progressive watch design? Might the era of the 1960s and 70s — “ahead of the Quartz crisis, when watchmaking was at the forefront of innovation, of micro-technology, in precision in time-keeping tools,” as Mintiens puts it — be revisited in the 2020s and 2030s? He argues that there is a growing, if niche, number of increasingly design-literate customers who do seek to put the product first — “its ergonomics, its ideas, something that belongs to the present”.

“So what’s key is that if we need new ideas, we keep turning to new designers,” stresses Ikepod’s Col. “And we’re happy to make these designers the stars too because that only encourages creativity. And that’s crucial — a market for ‘strong’ design may seem niche now, but the fact is that increasingly young people don’t want to wear the same watch as their fathers. They want to see something properly new.”

For more watch reads, click here.

Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic, the avant-garde juggernaut of watches

Reinvention is the theme for Rado and its storied Captain Cook lineup as 2021 proves to the year for the brand to reveal an unprecedented and revolutionary watch for the said collection. The introduction to the new Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic is necessary especially in the world of horology and style as it is the culmination of years of research and development alongside the natural evolution of the Captain Cook collection.

The Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic is a watch fully imbued and endowed with Rado’s DNA in its purest and most distilled form. The timepiece showcases many of Rado most famous and applauded advancements including Rado’s innovative scratch-resistant and hypoallergenic high-tech ceramic in its monobloc case construction and the premium highly accurate Rado calibre R734 featuring a NivachronTM hairspring powering the watch.

 

“In 2017, the iconic look was re- launched and hit the nerve of time with the renewed worldwide interest in vintage-style diving watches. As the Master of Materials, we did not stop there but continued to develop the product with the launch of the 42 mm steel version in 2019, and the re-interpretation in Bronze in 2020. It is therefore a logical next step to produce this very iconic timepiece in high-tech ceramic, which perfectly combines the Rado past with the present. It is pure Rado DNA.“

– Adrian Bosshard, Rado CEO.

THE CASE AND THE MOVEMENT

Coming in for the first time with a more prominent case diameter of 43mm, the Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic is presented in four attractive versions. The first version (Ref. R32127152) comes in black high-tech ceramic case and bracelet with a hardened steel turning bezel and black high-tech ceramic insert for a monochromatic outlook. Next (Ref. R32127156) is a version with the same case and dial. Here, a rubber strap is attached instead of the bracelet to offer a more casual look. The third version (Ref. R32127162) also arrives in a similar black high-tech ceramic case and bracelet. However, in this case, contrasting rose gold coloured PVD coats the steel turning bezel and black high-tech ceramic insert. Last but not least, the fourth model (Ref. R32128202), stands out with its distinct plasma high-tech ceramic case and bracelet. Blue high-tech ceramic is expertly inserted into the hardened steel bezel.

All versions of the High-Tech Ceramic come powered by the finely finished Rado calibre R734. It impressively provides up to an impressive 80 hours of power reserve for the watch. The monobloc case of the watch ensures a reliable and practical 300m of water resistance. The outstanding façade of the dial and case back is due to the black-tinted sapphire crystal on both sides. It provides the wearer with a secret up-close view of the skeletonized movement without interfering with the legibility of the watch. The stunning dial also acts as the perfect platform to house the iconic Rado rotating anchor at the 12 o’clock position. Key accent elements of the watch such as the triangle on the bezel, the indexes, and the classic Captain Cook arrow hands fitted on the dial are painted with bold white Super-LumiNova® providing clear visibility in low light. A final layer of protection for the dial is the perfectly transparent and robust chevé box sapphire crystal.

FIVE POSITIONS OF ADJUSTMENT

To achieve a high level of accuracy in timekeeping, a five-position adjustment process is employed for each mechanical watch. It is a very time-consuming and technically complex operation and as such, this level of quality control and standard is normally only offered by brands in the luxury segment, including Rado. This is as opposed to the more typical and cost-effective three-position adjustment. What is the five-position adjustment? The position of a watch determines how strongly gravitational pull influences the moving components of a mechanical movement.

The accuracy of a watch movement will therefore vary depending on the position of the watch due to the wearer’s movements. With that in mind, there is a need to adjust a watch in more than just one or three positions. It is due to the fact that a watch that is adjusted in a certain position may show completely different accuracy values in another position. That said, the more positions a watch is adjusted in, the more precise it is during everyday use.

The five-position adjustment is executed in these positions:

THE ANTI-MAGNETIC NIVACHRONTM

Apart from the five positions of adjustment, to further bolster the accuracy and capabilities of the High-Tech Ceramic, the special alloy NivachronTM has been employed in the construction of the watch’s balance springs. NivachronTM is an innovative titanium-based alloy first developed with the involvement of the Swatch Group specifically for such purposes.

Magnetism wreaks havoc onto mechanical watches when the steel components in the watch movement becomes magnetized by a nearby magnetic source and this renders the watch to tell time either much too fast or too slow. Magnetic fields are very present in our surroundings from items such as smartphones, computers, televisions and refrigerators to even magnetic closures on handbags or jewellery. A balance spring made from NivachronTM enables the effects of a magnetic field on the accuracy of a mechanical watch movement to be significantly reduced and helps minimize the need for a Rado service centre to demagnetize the watch under such circumstances.

The key features of NivachronTM are that balance springs made with it are much reduced in sensitivity to the effects of a magnetic field, extremely resistant to fluctuations in temperature and shock as well as significant improvement in timekeeping. When all comes into play, Rado’s calibre R734 is proudly able to boast greater accuracy of the movement thanks to the combination of the five-position adjustment and NivachronTM.

This means that the Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic watch also enjoys a high level of magnetic field resistance and can run for 80 hours when fully wound. The new Captain Cook in High-Tech Ceramic is truly a wonder of engineering from the inside and out. Emanating Rado’s DNA in the mastery of materials and avant-garde watchmaking, this is the dawn of a mechanical masterpiece that has to be experienced first-hand.

As a bonus, let us enjoy Li Edelkoort’s sense of style and trend which are exhibited in her interpretation of Rado’s beautiful watches as seen on the rough coasts of Normandy, France. as Abbe Marie, and even studied with the scientifically inclined cleric.

Rado unveils new True Square Collection at Rado Design Week

Every year, Rado collaborates with de across the globe to reinterpret its iconic timepieces, and this year is no different. This November, Rado teams up with Dezeen, the world’s most influential design and architecture magazine to debut the watchmaker’s first Virtual Design Week.

During the event, the two leading forces of design will introduce the 2020 edition of Rado designer watches through a series of live interviews. Meanwhile,  a favourite design chosen by the public will also be revealed on the final day.

This year, Rado partners with Italian duo FormaFantasma, British designer Tej Chauhan, Thukral and Tagra from India, and designer duo YOY from Japan to reimagine the True Square Collection, scroll down to get a sneak peek ahead of Rada Design Week:

 

FORMAFANTASMA – PROTECTING YOUR PRECIOUS TIME

“The idea came from the material itself, Ceramic. We wanted to make a watch that emphasised the qualities of the material and its application in watchmaking. We tried as much as possible to develop a language that could emphasise ceramic and use it for what it is. We did not want ceramic to look like metal or any other material but to use it almost naked. The watch also references in form pocket watches were often the lid is featuring a small opening for a quick pick at the time.

The watch we designed is very sober almost looking naked. We tried to do something radical in its simplicity.”

 

YOY – RADO TRUE SQUARE UNDIGITAL

“A variety of things in our modern world have become digital, including watches, and we thought we could find a new form of expression in this context by bringing digital items into the analogue world. It was our first time designing something this small and precise. The idea is very simple, but we finalised the design looking at dimensions of 0.1 mm or less.”

TEJ CHAUHAN – SOUVENIRS OF THE FUTURE

“For our collaboration, I wanted to highlight Rado’s innovation with materials, and to draw attention to high-tech ceramic. This was done using a pure execution of our Emotive Industrial Design approach.

The colour initially draws the eye, the matt finish of the case emphasis the ceramic feel. The strap is unique, made of small leather pillows, emulating links but soft and tactile – it’s designed to make you want to try it on, and also emphasises the traditional craft that goes into Rado timepieces. The watch face strikes a balance between classic and contemporary; I wanted it to have the feel of a traditional watch, but with a contemporary slant.”

Visit rado.com to find out more.

This article was originally published on www.lofficielmalaysia.com.

Squared and Skeletonised

A black shiny, square watch is one of the enduring images that comes to mind when one mentions Rado. It was the same feeling Matthias Breschan, then-CEO of Rado, vividly recollected when he first joined in 2011, as he told us during an interview we had with him in issue #56. More importantly, the brand recall is a testament to the watchmaker’s efforts in differentiating itself from increasingly stiffer competition. That shiny, square watch is the Ceramica, which was launched in 1990, but three decades on, Rado embarks on a new adventure as it seeks to build on a legacy in watchmaking that it pioneered.

readyviewed The True Square, as the new collection is named , is positioned under the brand’s True umbrella. This includes the True, True Thinline and now, the True Square collections. Though each collection has a unique identity, all share DNA — watches made entirely in high-tech ceramic offering unparalleled lightness and comfort for the wearer (elsewhere in the issue, we advance the notion that ceramic might be one of the most comfortable materials to wear – Ed)

For the first time, Rado has manufactured a square watch with an injected monobloc case construction using either high-tech ceramic or plasma high-tech ceramic. The former can be finished with a matte or high-glossy appearance while the latter radiates a metallic glow. Both enable rounded curves, instead of angular ones, which accentuate the fluidity of the case construction as it flows to meet the matching bracelet. A titanium caseback is fitted to reduce the weight further, bringing the entire package to an astonishing 120g, including the bracelet.

The True Square Automatic Open Heart seen here offers a different approach to the otherwise elegant-looking True Square Automatic. The industrial approach to skeletonisation at this level imparts a steampunk sensibility to the Open Heart that is unlike any other Rado watch. The openworked dial offers a glimpse at the 80-hour power reserve automatic ETA C07.631 calibre and the Côtes de Genève decorated movement holder. Three variations of the True Square Automatic Open Heart are produced — readyviewed high-polished high-tech ceramic in black or white and a plasma high-tech ceramic in bluish grey .

Rado True Square Automatic Open Heart Specs and Price

Movement Automatic ETA C07.631; 80-hour power reserve

Case 38mm in high-polished high-tech ceramic or plasma high-tech ceramic; water resistant to 50m

Strap Matching high-tech ceramic bracelet

Price $3,460 (black ceramic) $3,760 (plasma) and $4,340 (white ceramic)

By Asaph Low

 

High Time For Summer: Rado Captain Cook Bronze Automatic

 

Rado has built a reputation as a master of materials by revolutionising traditional watchmaking with the use of hightech ceramic, ultra-light high-tech ceramic, colourful hightech ceramic and Ceramos in its design-centric collections.

So, it caught the industry by surprise in 2017 with the redux of Captain Cook—a 1960s vintage dive watch that pays tribute to the 18th-century explorer Captain James Cook—which received much acclaim, despite veering from Rado’s high-tech, scratch-resistant trajectory. In 2018, Rado launched its first watch using bronze, an age-old alloy that transforms over time to give a unique patina depending on the wearer’s habits and environments.

 

 

In 2020, the Swiss watchmaker, once again, reconnects past with future by riffing on the Rado Captain Cook collection in starkly contrasting bronze and high-tech ceramic—a wonderful juxtaposition of the oldest man-made material with the most modern of materials.

The latest iteration replicates the colours from nature to give the sturdy-looking model a wash of lush green and earthy bronze tones. Deftly combining a bronze case and bezel, and a box-shaped sapphire crystal with high-tech ceramic insert and a titanium case back with sapphire crystal, replete with a dark green leather strap, the watch will prove irresistible for those with a strong predilection for modern-vintage dive watches.

 

 

A high-quality Swiss-made ETA C07 movement, offering up to 80 hours of precision power, rounds things up for the Captain Cook watch—a triumphant showcase of elements that champion the ancient and modern, vintage and contemporary, traditional and innovative, enduring and evolving.

 

Visit rado.com to find out more.

This article was originally published on www.lofficielmalaysia.com.

High-Tech Shine

Some watch brands are blessed with names that are well-known, even to people unfamiliar with timepieces. Others have a long and illustrious history, sharing names with major figures in history. Still others are so closely tied to sports or racing that they are virtually synonymous with their sponsorship activities. Indeed, we need not even list examples for any of the above because you probably know what we are talking about. It gets even more interesting – if a little esoteric — when a watchmaking brand is tied very closely to material innovation, as Rado is.

Chances are, if you have heard of Rado then you know that it is intricately tied to the use of ceramics in watchmaking. Those of you who take an interest in the history of watchmaking might also recall that Rado made what it called the world’s first scratchproof watch in 1962.
The DiaStar 1 was made of ultra-tough tungsten carbide, a material so difficult to work that it wore out the very tools that were used to make the cases. Crucially, the watch also introduced sapphire crystal. This marked the true beginning of the brand’s pioneering efforts in making scratch-resistant watches. The DiaStar 1 is typically included in horological milestones of the 20th century, but we are getting excited and racing ahead of ourselves.

For a brand with more than 100 years of history that is still active today, Rado is actually not that famous. To understand this, a trip through history is required, and this will take a little longer than our usual cover story jaunt. As far as WOW goes, it has been too long since we last went to the deep end of the pool with Rado watches to rediscover the history of the Lengnau-based brand. Happily, the Rado Captain Cook changed all that, thanks in part to the current demand for sports watches of all sorts. We published a little something on this last issue, and took a more leisurely look at the Captain Cook itself. To make a long story short, Rado is a brand on the up-and-up, with the Captain Cook watch the most visible symbol of its hard-won 21st century success.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

Like many Swiss watch brands, the story does not begin this century. Indeed, Rado did not even begin life under that name in 1917. In that year, brothers Fritz, Ernst and Werner Schlup founded the Schlup & Co. watch factory in Lengnau, Switzerland. Even Rado calls this a humble beginning, mostly because the atelier that housed Schlup & Co was a part of the Schlup family home.

Rado 1957 Golden Horse

An etabliseur focused on mechanical clock and watch movements, the firm did not make wristwatches under its own name. The Rado name first turns up in about 1937, with Schlup & Co. establishing a subsidiary named the Rado Watch Co. Ltd. It would take another 20 years for a watch to be created bearing the Rado name. This was the Golden Horse model of 1957, created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the company; this was also the moment the firm itself began using the name. More specifically, it was Rado Uhren AG.

The original movement for the Golden Horse was from Adolph Schild and the water-resistant case was in steel. That water-resistance bit was timely and quite fitting, given that the “Horse” part of the name referred to a pair of seahorse appliques facing each other above the 6 o’clock position. Interestingly, Adolph Schild is today a part of ETA, which is part of the Swatch Group, as Rado is. In a way, it remains a family affair, but we digress.

ANCHORS AWAY

The Green Horse collection followed in 1958, marketed on its water resistance rating. This marked the first appearance of a now-familiar sight on Rado watches: the miniature rotating anchor below the 12 o’clock marker. Not only did this end up being the brand’s logo, but it also served to mark when any given watch was ready to be serviced. It was the first such mechanism on a wristwatch in the world. Basically, when the anchor no longer obeyed gravity but remained stationary, it was time to send the watch in for servicing. Do not worry too much if that anchor is not actually familiar to you; for those whose early experiences with Rado were watches from the 1980s, the anchor is not a factor. Today the anchor is present on all
automatic Rado watches.

The landmark DiaStar 1 from 1962

By 1959, Rado had a presence in more than 61 countries and was especially popular in Asia and the Middle East. Original wristwatches from that era are relatively easy to come by even today, showing the popularity of the brand. However, it is difficult to acquire authentic 1950s and 1960s timepieces that are in good condition, or have all their original parts according to Thomas Gronenthal, writing for the US edition of WatchTime in 2017.

Rado must have realised that its watches were seeing a lot of use because by 1962, it debuted the DiaStar 1 to cope with the unforgiving world of the modern working person. In the early days of the wristwatch, watchmakers used to bemoan the fact that their precious creations were being placed in the perfect position to receive maximum damage. No solution was found for decades, with the first tough dive watches only appearing the 1950s, to cite just one category of watches.

For Rado, the DiaStar 1 was a radical proposition, not just in the materials it deployed. Matching its toughness was an uncompromising oblong case shape, with a pronounced bezel that protected the face of the watch. It was a sign of the watches to come, and continues to influence the brand to this day. The DiaStar remains in production, currently under the name The Original, and Rado CEO Matthias Breschan confirms that it remains a strong seller for the brand, without much supporting advertising materials. Hodinkee reports that DiaStar 1 models that appear in sales today still retain the sheen they did when they debuted, so the use of superhard and effectively scratchproof materials has yielded positive results.

THE FUTURE SHAPES UP

Throughout the 1960s, Rado continued to produce watches with unusual and fashionable looks, many of which are now discontinued. These included the distinctive Manhattan and a variety of cushion-shaped watches, which could have been direct descendants of the DiaStar 1. The first of the now-famous gold-coloured DiaStar models appeared in 1972, and the Rado Dia 67 brought a new sense of minimalism to the brand with its edge-to-edge metalised sapphire crystal. In the 1980s, Rado hit a new high – now a part of the Swatch Group – with the Rado Integral watch. In 1986, the Integral watch brought high-tech ceramics to watchmaking and immediately received positive notices.

The world’s hardest watch, the V10k

It took serious work and investment to debut a new material in watchmaking for a company that produced many tens of thousands of products. No watch for Rado is simply a prospect for a select few so the integrity of any new development is key. Besides large-scale production, the other issue was just how much ceramic was in play. Not only was the case of the Integral in ceramic but so was the bracelet. Adding even more complexity here was the decision to use bi-colour ceramics – adding pigments into the mix can alter the strength of the final product, or cause production issues since it will have marginally different properties than ceramics without the colouring elements.

For the design of the watch, Rado really hit it out of the park. Generations of watch collectors came to define Rado by the way the Integral looked – black with the high shine of jewellery.
Understandably for the times, the Integral was a quartz watch through-and-through; the dimensions of the watch would require an ultrathin movement, which would have bumped up prices significantly. They still would. As it stood then, the watch was a paragon of the Swatch Group value proposition, boasting high production values for a very reasonable price.

BEYOND WHAT IS INTEGRAL

Rado definitely recognised that it had a winner on its hands; Breschan tells us that the brand even decided at that point that it would commit to including ceramic across the board, shelving any project that could not be executed in the material. A dive watch such as the Captain Cook, long out of production anyway, would have been out of the question as a result. Nevertheless, Rado knew that it could not only live on the terms of the Integral.

The Integral model of 1986 defined Rado for a generation

The next move came in 1991, with a white ceramic model called the Coupole; this was the world’s first white ceramic watch. Future innovations in ceramic were forthcoming, as detailed in our sidebar, and included contemporary Rado staples such as the Sintra and the Ceramica. It culminated in 2002 with the launch of the V10k, which took scratch-resistance to a new level. The watch was coated with a layer of artificial nanocrystalline diamond, giving it a hardness of 10,000 Vickers. It is still the world’s hardest watch.

The world’s first white ceramic watch, the Coupole

This brings us squarely (no pun intended) into the contemporary era, because Rado changed tacks soon after the V10K. The challenge now was to find ways to work with new shapes, and do the sorts of things that limited the brand in the 1980s. Plenty of other brands were now using ceramic, including many in the Swatch Group that were of an altogether different class. The adoption of high-tech ceramic by brands such as Omega and Blancpain was actually a boon for Rado, which began paying dividends in the unidirectional bezel characteristic of dive watches. Here was a game where the Captain Cook watch was already well-positioned to perform well. At the same time, Rado was already working on colour solutions for its admittedly limited palette.

O CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN

When the vintage trend took hold at most brands after the financial crisis of 2008, Rado found it had the right watch to capture the public’s interest. When the sports watch trend really took off four years ago, the Captain Cook was no longer the right watch – it was perfect. So Rado struck in 2017 with a pitch-perfect reissue of the watch – down to the 37mm size – that surprised everyone who still saw Rado as the maker of shiny black watches. The new HyperChrome Captain Cook was an immediate hit, with collectors clamouring for a larger size. Rado not only obliged with its own oversized version at 45mm, but also with a 42mm crowd-pleaser that dropped the HyperChrome name.

Rado Captain Cook Automatic

This is the version of the Captain Cook that finds itself on the cover, and is the focal point of Rado’s press and marketing communications. To our minds, the version of this watch on a steel bracelet at $2,800 is not only the watch for the current moment but one you could easily wear as your daily beater. With Rado’s EasyClip band system, you could swap out that beads-of-rice hybrid bracelet without a second thought and go with a leather strap. No matter the version though, all models sport a unidirectional bezel in high-tech ceramic.

Do note that the two versions at 42mm with bracelet are quite different, not only in the nature of the bracelet but also in terms of price ($2,940) due to the water-resistance (200 metres vs 300 metres). There is also a limited edition (999 pieces) that comes with both fabric and bracelet as a package, priced at $3,230, and now a bronze version with only a leather strap that is not limited, priced at $3,530. Significantly, this bronze watch is the first Rado watch to ever be offered in bronze. It is also the first such watch in this material from Swatch Group, which is quite the coup for the Lengnau brand.

As far as colourways go, Rado has deployed its expertise here to offer several variants for the Captain Cook bezel, which are matched by the dials. You can discover more on that in our Cover Watch section because we have to abruptly change gears to move the spotlight to the True Thinline collection. This is where Rado’s ability to offer ceramic in different colours comes into play.

THIS MUCH IS TRUE

Finding this much colour in a Rado collection is truly unexpected, and does bring to mind the same surprise factor when the Captain Cook watch debuted. Rado goes all-in on bright hues, citing Le Corbusier’s colour theory, which is pretty gutsy for a brand with its reputation. The new True Thinline watches are a testament to both Rado’s expertise with high-tech ceramic and its design acumen. In this story, we are looking at the standard True Thinline, and the True Thinline Les Colours Le Corbusier. Briefly, there are nine watches in this brand new collection that reference 63 colours, and four of them pepper these pages. Each one of the nine models is limited to 999 pieces.

Rado True Thinline Les Couleurs Le Corbusier

Now, there is nothing new here so you need not wonder if you missed anything, if this series already grabbed your attention. It might be worth considering though if the True Thinline will have the same stature as the Captain Cook, given that both include important milestones for Rado.

To dig into it a little, the True Thinline Corbusier models exhibit a sense of playfulness and dynamism not seen elsewhere. The ultrathin 5mm cases are of the usual Rado monobloc standard, and the bracelets are highly wearable. Interestingly, Rado positions the limited edition as a unisex offering, while the standard True Thinline is meant for ladies. Looking at all of them together, it seems they could work for either gender; it really depends only on taste. The True Thinline collection is one of those recent offerings that inspired our polemic against gendered watches this issue, and this is yet another reason the entire collection might be important to take note of.

Indeed, the key take-away for watch specialists with the True Thinline Corbusier models is what they might mean for other Rado collections. Shall we expect to see an Integral in the same shade of Powerful Orange, or perhaps a bezel in Sunshine Yellow for the Captain Cook? How about a Ceramica entirely in Spectacular Ultramarine? It is certainly too early to tell, and once more is more dependant on taste than any technical constraint. If this brighter future does happen, then it will all have started with the True Thinline Les Colours Le Corbusier.

THE HARD WAY

The ceramics as used by Rado set the standard for the entire industry, so we should devote a little time to see how things work, generally speaking. It all begins with very finely powdered zirconium oxide, aluminium oxide or titanium carbide. Each grain measures only about 1/1000mm in diameter, which is about one fifth the thickness of a human hair. The powder is pressed into appropriately shaped moulds and then fired at 1,450 degrees C inside a sinter furnace. Here it condenses and emerges as scratch-resistant ceramic components, although shrinkage sometimes occurs.

Rado True Thinline Nature

The ceramic components for Rado watches are produced for it by Comadur, the Swatch Group company that also supplies the sapphire crystals for all Swatch Group brands. The colour agent added to the mix is an extremely pure oxide that is able to achieve a broad range of colours. Things are always improving on this front, with the Rado True Thinline currently reflecting the maximum of what is possible today with coloured ceramic materials for watches. The definitive shine of ceramic is a product of polishing with diamond dust. Interestingly, the tungsten carbide that Rado once used for the DiaStar 1 is recognised as an advanced ceramic material; Rado, for its part, classifies this as a ‘Hard Metal’ and introduces it as such on its website.

MASTER OF MATERIALS

Rado calls itself the Master of Materials, and it would not be able to do this if ceramics were the entire picture. Actually, there are loads of different ceramics and Rado devotes its expertise to several, in its own words.

Rado True Thinline Les Couleurs Le Corbusier

High Tech Ceramic – Equal parts art and science, high-tech ceramic has been a part of the Rado story for decades. This lightweight material is scratch-resistant and hypoallergenic, and can take on matte and polished finishes.

Plasma High Tech Ceramic – This material delivers a paradoxically warm and metallic shimmer, without any metals in the mix. It is used in the HyperChrome and DiaMaster collections. Ceramos – Unlike the other ceramics described here, this one is a 90:10 blend of metal and ceramic. It is mostly found in the DiaMaster collection.

 

On Newsstands: WOW Malaysia Spring 2020

Spring 2020 is here and once more, we have another highly anticipated issue of World of Watches Malaysia. Want to find out what we have in store for our valuable readers? Why not pick up a copy of the magazine or, even better, subscribe to receive the magazines at your convenience, especially during the Movement Control Order period? Here is a sneak peek of what’s inside.

Daniel Craig aka James Bond 007 is back with his new Omega Seamaster Diver 300M 007 Edition. Read how the actor was consulted on the creation of the watch made for the most famous of field secret agents even as the launch of the new Bond movie is postponed towards the end of the year. The new watch, with its military specifications and vintage-inspired aesthetics, will remain high on the desirability list, especially with the greater anticipation for the 25th Bond movie which is coincidentally Craig’s last outing as James Bond.

2020 is a leap year and, once again, the date change at the end of February moves into focus with the extra day at the end of the shortest month of the year. In this issue, we discover how fine German watchmaking brand, A. Lange & Söhne, implements the major complication of the Perpetual Calendar in their highly complicate timepieces. In fact, since 2001, the highly respected brand has released no less than eight timepieces that feature this complication and, all but one of them implements the function in the most traditional of ways.

On a more heartwarming note, we feature Patek Philippe’s long-standing relationship with Cortina Watch as they come together to revel over sixty years of warm friendship and business connections. Find out how the two entities cooperated and stayed strong with each other through thick and thin in, our special write-up on Patek Philippe and Cortina Watch.

Of course, even in the absence of Baselworld and Watches & Wonders 2020, we persevere and continue to present the latest horological launches for the year. Rado shares the limelight with the new update on its popular vintage-styled Captain Cook that comes enhanced with 300m water resistance and in a more prominent and larger case of 42mm. Corum presents something lavish for the ladies – the Corum Golden Bridge Round 39, a watch that successfully combines traditional watchmaking values with the fine skills of haute joaillerie. Not to be left behind, Seiko honours Novak Djokovic’s achievements with a new Seiko Astron GPS Solar dedicated to the champion tennis player as its premium brand, Grand Seiko, celebrates 60 years of excellence with a range of 60th anniversary Grand Seiko limited edition watches.

Rest assured, these are just some of the many other fabulous watches that we delve into for this issue. During times of social distancing, many physical watch launches were postponed or cancelled but, definitely, we will not be lacking in any watch related information so stay with us always!

Last but not least, in our issue, we also invite you to take a journey on the L’Odyssée de Cartier even in the times when there are many travel restrictions. Discover how the legendary Maison took inspiration from the depth and the diversity of mankind’s culture and incorporated it into rare creations. Do not forget to follow the adventures on Cartier’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/Cartier

As we all stay strong and healthy in these trying times, please stay tuned into the happenings of the Malaysian watch market and do look out for the Spring 2020 issue of World of Watches at your local newsstands as well as follow us on our Instagram account @WatchWOWMy.

 

Adeline Ziliox joins Maurice Lacroix, the latest of Fine Women in Watchmaking

Fine watchmaking has historically been the territory of men, but this type of mentality has become increasingly outmoded over the years, and even more so in the current political climate.

So when the likes of Maurice Lacroix, Audemars Piguet, and Rado announced their decision to partner with three women fashion and lifestyle artists to design their major collections, the reaction was closer to that of collective excitement than of surprise.

The result has simply been, to put in one word: stunning. The timepieces borne out of these collaborations are ideal for the modern working woman – relevant, timeless, sophisticated, and still fun – just like the designers themselves. These are watches created for women, by women.

MAURICE LACROIX x ADELINE ZILIOX (and the origins of an AIKON)

Founded and launched in 1975, Swiss timepiece atelier Maurice Lacroix is perhaps one of the younger brands to achieve status as a fully integrated watchmaker (including casemaking when they acquired the Saignelégier based Queloz S.A.), especially notable that given very few watchmakers in the segment of value price positioning actually bother to pursue this path. That said, this achievement placed the brand in good stead to not only eventually produce its own manufacture movements, but also, to create its own iconic case in the 90s – the out-of-production Maurice Lacroix Calypso series.

In 2018, the most recognisable element of the Calypso, the complex brushed and polished “bezel with claws”, returned in the newly re-interpreted AIKON series. Daring and bold, the new Maurice Lacroix AIKON eked a share of mind in the highly competitive “luxury steel sports watch” segment. Given its fearless bravado, it is little wonder that manufacture has unveiled an exciting partnership with French couture designer Adeline Ziliox for its new AIKON Automatic 35mm wristwatch, a gorgeous modern chic accessory made specially for women.

Adeline Ziliox’s aesthetic sensibilities lean towards the bold and unabashedly sensual. In that respect, Maurice Lacroix is sympatico with the daring designer.

The company has chosen the fiercely distinctive and original fashion maven to design the latest AIKON collection because of her avant-garde sensibilities that lend themselves seamlessly to the brand’s own aesthetics and vision.

The Timepiece

The AIKON Automatic 35 mm can be described as the modern woman’s dream watch. Full of character and sophistication, it comes in four different models, all aimed at accentuating the busy lives of the career lady out about town. The watch, which is fitted with classic materials like the mother of pearl, is packed with a magnificent blend of precision craftsmanship, exceptional patience, and a daring design vision.

The Designer

Adeline Ziliox enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame, thanks to one Martin Margiela’s fascination with her. She quickly became his favourite, and the darling of the couture industry, working alongside him, before striking it out on her own. Her signature look can be described as luxury ready-to-wear. Her latest collection, presented alongside Maurice Lacroix, also showcases high fashion in an eco-friendly manner.

AUDEMARS PIGUET x CAROLINA BUCCI

The new Carolina Bucci-designed Royal Oak Frosted Gold was launched earlier this year in celebration of the model’s fourtieth birthday. The marriage of Audemars Piguet, known for its luxurious elegance, and the classic and chic bijouterie sensibilities of Bucci, is a match made in couture watch-jewellery heaven.

The Timepiece

Audemars Piguet is quick to emphasise that “nothing has been added, and nothing has been removed” in this reimagined piece of timeart. Rather, what Bucci has done is simply intensified the brightness and shine of the watch’s signature Rose Gold tone through an ancient family gold hammering process known as the Florentine Technique.

The Designer

Born in Florence, Italy, Carolina Bucci is the product of both a long lineage of goldsmith masters (her great-grandfather was the first in the family to make bespoke gold chains and jewellery at the end of the 19th century), and that of prestigious education, having graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology. She took over the family business in the 2000s, and is now its creative director.

RADO x BETHAN GRAY

Rado is known to push the boundaries on watchmaking, so the partnership with English furniture designer Bethan Gray should come as no surprise. This latest joint effort sees the Swiss watchmaker take its more contemporary True Thinline model even further into the realm of distinctive flair and individuality.

The Timepiece

Perhaps the most eccentric of the three, if only because of its gold studs and black strap, the Rado True Thinline Limited Edition is all about spunk and personality. London-based Bethan Gray has taken elements reminiscent of homeware products to create a bold statement piece that features a glowing grey marquetry pattern dial encased in a ceramic matte-black monobloc outer ring.

The Designer

Bethan Gray launched her eponymous furniture line Bethan Gray Design in 2008, after a ten-year stint as design director at UK homeware retailer Habitat. Her designs are often described as original yet functional, owing to her nomadic Rajasthani roots. She won the award for Best British Designer at the 2013 Elle Design Awards.

This article was originally published on www.luxuo.com

A look at Rado True Thinline Couleurs™ Le Corbusier collection

Rado introduces the True Thinline Les Couleurs™ Le Corbusier, an exclusive collection of high-tech ceramic watches that pay tributes to Le Corbusier’s legendary Architectural Polychromy color theory.

The 63 colours of Architectural Polychromy are classified into nine distinct groups of shades and tones, representing architectural significances to create space and depth, of which deliver physiological and psychological impact on the viewer.

As the Master of Materials, Rado applies their expertise on high-tech ceramic andmonobloc case construction to create the exclusive timepieces in nine exact Architectural Polychromy colours, challenging the craftsmanship without compromising designs and styles.

Vibrant, velvety, balanced, bold, powerful, expressive, luminous, impressive and pure, the Rado True Thinline Les Couleurs™ Le Corbusier watches come with a limited edition of 999 pieces for each colour.

Swipe the gallery to check out Rado True Thinline Couleurs™ Le Corbusier collection:

This article was originally published on www.lofficielmalaysia.com.

Rado HyperChrome Ultra Light won Good Design Award

Rado has recently won Good Design Award with its high-tech ceramic Rado HyperChrome Ultra Light.

Part of 2018 collection, the award-winning piece Rado HyperChrome Ultra Light is made of groundbreaking ultra-light high-tech ceramic, which only bears half of the weight of standard high-tech ceramic. Not to mention, it is more solid and more scratch-resistant.

This marked Rado’s eighth win in a row at the prestigious award ceremony organised by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.

Drawing its inspiration from 20th-century pocket watches, the classic-looking timepiece is endowed with Rado’s signature monobloc case and a brown sunray high-tech ceramic dial. The watch is also powered by ETA A31.L02 automatic movement with 21 jewels and 64-hour power reserve.

Gaining recognition in ‘Personal’ category of Good Design Award, the HyperChrome Ultra Light is undeniably a masterpiece in terms of quality, function and aesthetics – that designs to stand the test of time and speaks more than a commercial product.

 

A look inside the Rado DiaMaster Petite Seconde Automatic Watch

Always one to break conventions when creating new masterpieces, Rado introduces the new Rado DiaMaster Petite Seconde Automatic, which has now been stamped with COSC certification.

And for those who do not know, COSC is the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute that certifies the accuracy and precision of wristwatches in Switzerland.

Celebrated as the “Master of Materials”, the new 2018 DiaMaster Petite Seconde
Automatic COSC highlights the use of plasma high-tech ceramic, which is a new scratch-resistant ceramic that showcases a metallic look without actually using metal materials, and combining it with silicon.

And it is because of the use of silicon as a hairspring, placed at the heart of the new DiaMaster Petite Seconde, that helped the new DiaMaster acquire the COSC approval and promising the utmost precision in time-telling.

With the classic rounded 43 mm DiaMaster case, the DiaMaster Petite Seconde
Automatic COSC focuses on the beauty of purity with minimal design and an open, clear-reading dial paired with a sleek crocodile print leather strap.

Another highlight of the new timepiece is the Small Second complication, placed on the 6 o’clock position of the Diamaster, which also highlights the COSC certification where it runs within -4/+6 seconds over a 24-hour period.

And with the light and durable high tech ceramic, the body of the watch gives off a delicate and unique finishing, whose colour borders between steel and gunmetal – a true stand-out for the wrist.

Proving to the world that you don’t need change to something perfect, the DiaMaster Petite Seconde Automatic COSC stays true to its original form and still makes the perfect dress watch for both day and night.

 

 

TheDiaMaster Petite Seconde Automatic COSC in now available at Rado boutiques and dealers worldwide.

For more information, go to www.rado.com.

What to expect at Baselworld 2019?

The Swatch Group CEO Nick Hayek has dropped a bombshell last month with an exclusive interview with Switzerland’s Neue Zürcher Zeitung and the news has quickly made to the headlines of every watch publications.

According to a statement issued by The Swatch Group, “Today everything has become more transparent, fast-moving, and instantaneous. Accordingly, a different rhythm and a different approach is needed. … In this new context, annual watch fairs, as they exist today, no longer make much sense. This does not mean that they should disappear. But it is necessary that they reinvent themselves, responding appropriately to the current situation and demonstrating more dynamism and creativity”.

In response to the statement, René Kamm, the former CEO of MCH Group – who has resigned after the departure of The Swatch Group from Baselworld – said, “We extraordinarily regret Swatch Group’s decision. The cancellation is all the more surprising for us because this news reaches us at a point in time when new management has arrived with a new team, new esprit and many new ideas’.

In the same month – when the news of The Swatch Group’s departure broke –, Baselworld has welcomed a new Managing Director, Michel Loris-Melikoff and he revealed that it will be an entirely brand new experience for Baselworld 2019 with the transformation of the annual event from a media andtrading platform to an attractive marketing, communications and events platform.

René Kamm has stepped down as CEO of MCH Group on 3 August.

The following are the low-down on what he shared about the plans for Baselworld 2019:

 

More exclusive contents
Baselworld will present Les Ateliers in Hall 1.0 South which provides a better opportunity for the independent watchmakers to showcase their creations. What’s more, the Hall 1.1 will be the venue for “The Loop”, a space for the presentation of watchmaking art.

A hub for jewellery makers
The “Show Plaza” in Hall 1.2 will feature a spectacular 240° catwalk with numerous LED screens to present the latest jewellery collections, which will also be used for wholly revised press day and a Retailer Summit.

The privilege of dining and accommodation
Baselworld will be offering a diverse selection of catering options, be it take away or dine-in at an exclusive three-star restaurant. Aside from dining, Baselworld plans to sign “Charta” with partner hotels to ensure a reasonable price for accommodation during Baselworld.

Information at fingertips
Baselworld will deliver all relevant information directly to the user’s phones via messaging services of chatbot and WeChat (for Asian audiences).

 

The Swatch Group was the largest exhibitor of Baselworld – with 18 brands under its helm such as Omega, Longines, Tissot and others – which funded the prestigious watch event with more than $US 50 million annually. Although Baselworld has survived from the departure of big brands like Cartier and Piaget previously, losing The Swatch Group as its main backer will definitely have an impact on Baselworld.

However, news about potent exhibitor leaving Baselworld did not come as a complete surprise as it has been happening throughout the decades. For example, the exit of Movado Group and Breitling last year; Vendôme Group in 1990; Hermes and others. The number of exhibitors has also dropped drastically from over 1300 to around 650 in 2018, which was only half the exhibitors in 2017.

The Swatch Group, which carries Omega has quit Baselworld.

Despite that, there are still 650 brands signed to exhibit in Baselworld 2019.