Hands-on with the Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Diver Limited Edition
Sunday - 15 January 2023
Now featuring a high-tech ceramic case, crown and bezel, the new Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Limited Edition watch is perfect for divers and keen explorers and comes in a limited run of just 1962 pieces to mark the year that the design revisits.
Rado is well known across the luxury watch industry for its Avant Garde designs incorporating some of the strongest materials used in watchmaking. These luxury watches are a testament to Rado's name as “Masters in Materials”. As a result, Rado watches are associated with incredible robustness and resilience, having been crafted from the likes of the most scratch-resistant material in watchmaking known as plasma high-tech ceramic. The Integral, the Diastar and the True Square watches are just some examples of Rado's work with this material. In addition to this, Rado has been acknowledging the recent popularity of vintage dive watches and has revisited an important model in its historic catalogue – the Captain Cook watch, originally named after British explorer, James Cook.
In reviving the popular diver’s watch, first launched in the 1960s, Rado has been able to expand the line with several different materials including steel, bronze and now its high-tech ceramic. Retaining its classic style, the Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Diver watch still looks incredibly unique and is now rendered almost completely in the company’s highly scratch-resistant, hypoallergenic and comfortable material for a lightweight finish on the wrist. By pushing the modernity of the line and appealing to many a daring diver and modern explorer, Rado introduces the first Captain Cook watch to be developed entirely from ceramic, with the only exception being the caseback and the clasp of the bracelet. Previously, the models had featured a ceramic monoclonal case for added robustness, a coloured ceramic-filled bezel and a choice of a rubber strap or a ceramic bracelet securing with a three-fold titanium clasp. The models, however, featured a hardened steel bezel and crown. The limited edition model is different yet again.
All you need to know about the new Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Diver Limited Edition watch
The new Rado Captain Cook HighTech Ceramic Diver limited Edition watch released just a few months ago is developed from a one-piece case construction crafted from plasma high-tech ceramic and comes fitted on a matching ceramic bracelet with a clasp crafted from titanium. Also crafted from titanium is the back of the case, executed with a black PVD coating and featuring a black tinted sapphire crystal glass caseback for viewing the automatic movement whilst in motion. The new design of this latest Captain Cook High Tech Ceramic Limited Edition watch features a sapphire dial which sits underneath a scratch-resistant and anti-reflective boxed sapphire crystal glass front. A subtle smoked tint on the display gives way to the harmoniously working elements of the movement as it performs its 21,600 vibrations per hour.
The R808 movement, based on an ETA Calibre, provides up to 80 hours of power, making it a great option for alternating with other watches over the course of a weekend. You can take the watch off and swap it with another model, safe in the knowledge that the movement will keep track of time perfectly whilst off the wrist. Through the dial, you can admire the movement’s visible mainspring with a skeletonised barrel since the date window has also been removed from the dial to offer a broader and uninhibited view of the movement through the front of the watch.
On the display of the new Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Diver Limited Edition watch, a black chapter ring around the edge of the dial provides a level for the brushed gold-tone hour markers to sit upon. These are matched by the finish of the gold brushed hour markers – both of which have been treated with a striking black-coloured Super-LumiNova. This unusual yet tasteful design element to the watch further enhances a sleek look on the wrist, whilst at night the luminous material emits a rich glowing blue colour. Gold matching paint has been added to the laser-etched markings on the bezel. Of course, the Rado anchor is present at the top of the dial, rotating to show the autonomy of the watch and identifying, once coming to a halt, when the watch needs a service.
The new Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Diver Limited Edition watch measures a 43mm diameter and sits at a height of 14.6mm. Its robust construction is perfect for exploration, enhanced of course, by a water resistance of 300 meters. The incredibly hard and scratch-resistant qualities of ceramic are called upon once more to complete the watch with a bracelet strap, securing with a titanium clasp.
Limited to just 1962 pieces worldwide, the Rado Captain Cook model is an incredibly appealing model to collect and can be explored in more detail by following the link here, or by calling 01335 453453 and speaking to a member of our Jura Watches sales team today.
