Is Rado A Luxury Watch?

Known for its beautiful, unique, and modern watches that incorporate innovative design and revolutionary materials, Rado’s brand philosophy is ‘if we can imagine it, we can make it. There is no doubt that Rado is a pioneer when it comes to durable watches. More understated than other varieties, is Rado a luxury watch?

With over a hundred-year legacy, the Swiss brand Rado is most certainly a luxury watch. It is made from high-tech ceramic, making it scratch-resistant and robust yet lightweight. Rado watches have an innovative, modern, and sophisticated design and feature the latest technology.

Rado watches can be underrated, mainly because of their price-to-value proposition. However, watch connoisseurs are coming to appreciate the craftsmanship, high-tech materials, and design that go into a Rado watch.

What Makes Rado A Luxury Watch Brand?

Buying a luxury watch is not simply transactional. Your watch says so much about you. It is an investment and an expression of style and lifestyle. A luxury watch combines quality, longevity, design, function, and value.

Owned by the Swatch group, Rado is known for its exquisite and innovative design and the revolutionary use of materials that go into these watches.

Superior quality materials are used to make Rado watches, including high-tech ceramic, diamonds, sapphire crystal, and hard metal. These materials ensure that Rado watches are resistant to scratches and durable.

There is nothing more luxurious than the sensation of rich materials like silk and cashmere against your skin. Rado craftsman knows this to be true. While they are durable and robust, Rado watches feature a sleek and elegant design and are lightweight, making them comfortable to wear. What’s more, the sensation of high-tech ceramic on your skin is one of soft lightness.

A luxury watch is all about elegance, effortless ease, and comfort. Imagine having to scrounge around in the dark, tilting your wrist to the nearest light source, trying to gauge the time. Many Rado models incorporate Super-LumiNova features. This illuminates the dials on the watch, allowing the wearer to tell the time, even in the dark.

They are durable and water resistant of up to 100 and 300 meters underwater.

Another important aspect of luxury watches is functionality. Rado watches feature a date window, which many consider a must-have on a watch.

Rado watchmakers have a passion for cutting-edge innovation and strive to be ahead of the curve. Much research is invested in developing new materials to make Rado watches at the forefront in design aesthetic and functionality.

The History Of Rado

In 1917 in their parent’s home in the town of Lengnau, Switzerland, three brothers, Fritz, Ernst, and Werner Schlup, founded the company Schlup & Co., which specialized in making movements. However, by the 1920s, the company was making finished watches.

By the 1950s, the brand Rado was registered. Directly translated from Esperanto, Rado means ‘wheel.’ During the late 1950s, Rado launched its Golden Horse Collection and, soon after, its Green Horse collection. During this time, Rado started to make a name for itself on a large scale, spreading to over 60 countries worldwide.

Since its early days, Rado has been a pioneer in materials used in watchmaking.

Wanting to create a watch that was durable, Rado watchmakers created Rado DiaStar, which was launched in 1962. Rado DiaStar was considered the world’s first scratch-resistant watch. This was quite revolutionary as the DiaStar was not only scratch-proof but was made from sapphire glass and metals that no other watch manufacturer had used before.

In the 1980s, Rado was once again at the forefront of innovation when they launched their first ceramic watch. Made from high-tech ceramic, this watch was scratch-resistant and ultra-lightweight. Initially, this ceramic watch was available in black or white, but as the years went by, Rado offered these watches in a range of colors.

Since then, the master watchmakers at Rado have developed other materials to be used in watches like Plasma high-tech ceramic, Ceramos, and hard metals. Most noteworthy was the Rado V10K, believed to be the world’s hardest watch made out of sapphires and diamonds – that’s right – not studded with these gems, but made entirely from them and built with Swizz quartz precision. Rado also made the first ever touch technology on a ceramic watch. To set the eSenza Touch, all you have to do is swipe your finger across the dial.

The Rado Brand Continues To Go Strong

Rado may not seem as prominent as other watch brands. You probably do not see Rado watches as much as you see other brands. This is because Rado watches are only available through a limited number of retailers, and unlike other watch manufacturers, Rado only makes 500 000 watches a year.

While their collection is vast and ranges from classic and vintage-inspired diver style to ultra-modern and trendy timepieces, Rado watches have a distinct and unique look.

Rado’s Distinctive Details

There are little details on Rado watches that make them distinctive and quirky.

Certain Rado collections feature a seahorse on the case back of the watch. Not just a cute detail, the number of seahorses tell you how the case back is attached to the watch. Two seahorses mean the case back has been attached bayonet style, while three seahorses mean the case back has been screwed down.

The red anchor has become a signature on many Rado watches. If you notice a moving red anchor on the dial or crown of a Rado watch, this will tell you that an automatic movement powers the watch.

Conclusion

For many, Rado is not the first brand to spring to mind when you think about luxury watch brands. However, Rado should not be overlooked. With a decade-long legacy in innovation and design and the best in craftsmanship, Rado watches combine beauty with functionality and durability.

So whether you are looking to purchase your first ever luxury watch or you are on the market for something new to add to your collection, a Rado will be a worthy buy.