Discover the Rado difference with the iconic Captain Cook, now featuring cutting-edge ceramic

If you’re obsessed with watches, you’re not alone – and you’re probably well aware of the contradiction at the heart of this fascination. We’re hurtling ever deeper into the digital age, but no matter how many alternatives spring up, the demand for good mechanical watches continues to grow. This renaissance is easy to understand when you meet a diving watch like the Captain Cook, a timepiece from the Swiss brand Rado, which is pushing the boundaries of watchmaking.

Rado was founded in 1917 and was a very successful movement maker before it started producing its own watches. It became known for its pioneering use of materials to create award-winning watches that were both beautiful and durable. In the 1980s, the brand began using different ceramics as a tough yet light, scratch-resistant substitute for metal, leading to Rado being known as the “master of materials”.

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Iconic by name and nature

The Captain Cook, named after the 18th century British explorer, was first released in 1962. The world was gripped by a diving craze, and Rado’s innovative watch featured lume-filled hands, a concave dive bezel, a beads-of-rice bracelet and domed acrylic crystal.

The model was re-released in 2017 and is now available with a high-tech ceramic case. Stylistically, the watch is close to its 1960s predecessor, but in keeping with its cutting-edge case, the new watch boasts an automatic movement with an anti-shock and anti-magnetic Nivachron™ hairspring, plus an 80-hour power reserve. The case size is also larger to appeal to contemporary tastes, and the water-resistance is a very modern 300m.

There’s a craze for classic sports cars with modern mechanicals, and this is born of the same philosophy – it’s a brand-new luxury Swiss watch that has all the latest capabilities to the suit the most demanding adventurer, but it has the heart and style of a 1960s classic. It’s not a contradiction, just the best of both worlds.

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All in the detail

The Rado Captain Cook’s 43mm case is made of a high-tech ceramic monobloc case and stainless steel turning bezel and it features a transparent sapphire caseback. It’s available with a rubber strap, plasma high-tech ceramic or black high-tech ceramic with either Silver or Rose Gold coloured PVD coated stainless steel turning bezel, and it’s powered by the premium Rado calibre R734 featuring an innovative Nivachron™ hairspring, which provides an advantage in everyday life by protecting the timepiece from magnetic fields. What’s more, its automatic movement has an 80-hour power reserve, while its screw-down crown contributes to an impressive water resistance of up to 300m.

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Are you looking for a watch that comes with a built-in sense of adventure? Discover the Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic collection now.

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