Life’s so terribly unpredictable these days, isn’t it? Dining in today, no dining in tomorrow. Friends today, frenemies tomorrow. Blistering weather in the morning, cats and dogs in the evening… Nobody is ever sure what to expect anymore. Well fret not, because here’s one thing you could always count on: A top-notch high-tech stress-resistant watch à la the Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic.
Despite the collection’s deep roots in vintage territory and its strong 1960s heritage, this 2021 model is all about the future. It’s bigger, bolder, and brasher than before. It’s also stronger, lasts longer, and looks ready for just about any kind of adventure that might come its way. Because the operative word here is “high-tech ceramic.” Rado’s go-to material for all of its top-shelf timepieces.
Material Benefits
Known as the Rado material in the way that adamantium is the Wolverine material, high-tech ceramic functions brilliantly as a case and bracelet for timepieces. Yes, it is exceptionally scratch resistant and completely hypo-allergenic – everybody knows that today.
But if you’d pay closer attention to the watches, you’ll notice how Rado has truly mastered the material, producing watches in high-tech ceramic that are not only durable and comfortable, but also beautiful and sophisticated. And that’s such a “Rado” thing to do, to always respect the tenets of good design above all else.
The operative word here is “high-tech ceramic” – Rado’s go-to material for all of its top-shelf timepieces.
In the service of good design, Rado formulated a monobloc case construction for its newest Captain Cook, which assures tip-top water-tightness worthy of the eponymous seafarer who inspired the collection. Good for up to 300 metres below sea level, you could take it to the pool or the beach or even leave it on in the shower with zero hesitation.
Fascinatingly, this is the first model within the Captain Cook series to be clad fully in high-tech ceramic. Case, bezel, and bracelet. Earlier renditions of this popular model featured only the bezel in high-tech ceramic, paired with either stainless steel or bronze cases.
Technical Finesse
Going for the ultra-sporty look, this is like the Captain Cook on steroids as you have a 43mm diameter case with more pronounced notches on the bezel. Yet thanks to the lightweight properties of high-tech ceramic, the entire watch weighs no more than 157 grams which is remarkably light for a sports watch on bracelet.
Extra bonus points also go to the dial design, for which Rado cleverly used a black tinted sapphire crystal. It stays perfectly coordinated with the overall colour palette yet subtly exposes parts of the movement beneath.
Look closely past the iconic Rado rotating anchor at 12 o’clock and you will catch glimpses of one of the Swatch Group’s most ground-breaking new inventions to date, the Nivachron hairspring.
This is the “secret weapon” that protects its movement, the premium Rado Calibre R734, from magnetic fields all around. Word on the street is that the paramagnetic qualities of Nivachron are even better than that of standard silicon hairsprings.
Although, we wouldn’t advise sticking the watch in an MRI machine just for the heck of it. No, because we’d much rather be poring over those chunky arrow hands (a Captain Cook staple), that chevé box sapphire crystal, and playing with that cute little rotating anchor all day long – you know, like a normal person.
Browse the full Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic collection here.
