Best of 2022: Rado Captain Cook High Tech Ceramic Divers Watches
Wednesday - 25 January 2023
Rado's Captain Cook watch collection has always been associated with its appeal and functional use for modern explorers. Its design has become one of the most popular throughout the company's versatile catalogue and has received several updates along the way. That said, the Rado Captain Cook watch has managed to retain its signature look for decades, becoming a coveted timepiece to own for many a watch fan. Here’s a look at the latest Rado Captain Cook High Tech Ceramic Divers watches.
The evolution of the Rado Captain Cook watch
It all started when the original Captain Cook watch by Rado was released back in 1962. Many fans of the modern additions don’t quite realise just how long this popular model has been winning the hearts of horophiles. It took its name after the British explorer, James Cook and its most distinctive feature was a pivoting anchor that was mounted to a lubricated ruby bearing. When the anchor stopped moving, it would indicate to the wearer that it was time for the Captain Cook watch to be serviced. It is this original design that has come to shape the models that followed.
In 2017, the Rado Captain Cook watch was revisited and relaunched. It kept its size on the small side, with a width measuring 37mm. This would grow to a much broader 42mm diameter two years later, as Rado reconfigured the watch to suit the needs of the modern explorer. In addition to this main change, it was equipped with an improved water-resistant rating of 300 meters, appealing to divers as well as modern explorers. In 2021, Rado introduced its high-tech ceramic Captain Cook watch range with a 43mm diameter. Following years and years of extensive material research and development, eager watch fans had waited in anticipation for the unveiling of this ultra-resilient and ultra-strong watch from the Captain Cook range and just last year, Rado added some new timepieces to the series.
The Rado Captain Cook ceramic and steel models
In this article, we’re going to look at 6 of the models from the Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Divers series. These are the model reference R32129152 in black with a black bracelet, the reference R32129158 in black with a black rubber strap, the reference R32130312 in olive green with a matching-coloured bracelet, the reference R32130318 – the same watch with an olive green rubber strap, the reference R32144102 in grey with a sunray grey dial and bracelet, and the reference R32144202 with a sunray blue dial.
Rado’s relationship with high-tech ceramic
Rado's relationship with ceramic dates all the way back to the release of the Integral watch in 1986. Before then, the material was mainly used in medicine and aeronautics. The Rado Ceramica watch followed this, considered the first watch in the world to feature a case, bracelet and crown made of high-tech ceramic. This material has helped cement Rado’s reputation as a manufacturer of solid, reliable and incredibly scratch-resistant wristwatches. In addition to these qualities, high-tech ceramic is also hypoallergenic, lightweight and comfortable.
All six of these Rado Captain Cook watches are fitted with the Calibre R763 movement and all feature a fluted steel bezel trim. First, let’s talk about the movement. The Rado R763 provides an impressive power reserve of 80 hours and is fitted with a Nivachron anti-magnetic hairspring. This component increases the durability of the movement, whist it sits securely inside a 300-meter water-resistant case.
The monoclonal case of each of the 6 models measures 43mm in diameter and is fitted with a boxed sapphire crystal glass. Underneath this glass surface is a black, olive green, sunray grey and sunray blue dial. Each display is equipped with a bold arrow-tipped hour hand coated in Super-LumiNova and a matching minute hand to make time reading as easy as possible. A date window feature resides at 3 o’clock and the luminous hour markers are a mix of rectangular and trapezoid shapes. Each dial is framed by a high-tech ceramic unidirectional bezel in a coordinated colour that matches the respective dial colour – all except for the sunray grey and blue dial iterations that is. On these two models, the rotating bezel is finished in grey.
The R32129152 and R32129158 Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Diver watches are probably the most versatile of all six. Executed in black ceramic and with a matching black dial, these models are stealth-like and modern but also easy to pair with any attire. In the bracelet version, the outer links of the strap are executed in a matt finish whilst the inner links are polished. The crown and bezel are both grooved to enhance a good grip under the fingers and are both made from strengthened steel. The olive green models – reference R32130312 and R32130318 follow suit with the same features and style. The olive green colour, which runs from the dial into the monoclonal case, and throughout both the metal and rubber bracelet makes for an unusual addition to any watch collection and a talking point to any outfit. Lastly, the R32144102 and R32144202 models both feature the grey-coloured plasma high-tech ceramic mentioned earlier, along with a titanium caseback engraved with a seahorse image (as do the other four models). The bracelet in both the sunray grey dial and sunray blue dial options is crafted from plasma high-tech ceramic with different finishes on the respective outer and inner links, along with a three-fold clasp crafted from lightweight titanium.
If you would like more information on any of the 6 Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Diver watches we’ve featured in this article, you can call and speak to a member of our sales team on 01335 453453 today.
