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Rado

Innovation in the field of design and material is a top priority at Rado. The company that was founded in 1917 was able to launch the first scratch-resistant watch to the world – the 1962 DiaStar. The legendary model has established a tradition of Rado pioneering that has continued to this day.
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Rado: History, Models and Prices. New & Vintage.

Rado

Innovation in the field of design and material is a top priority at Rado. The company that was founded in 1917 was able to launch the first scratch-resistant watch to the world – the 1962 DiaStar. The legendary model has established a tradition of Rado pioneering that has continued to this day.

  • The Schlup brothers laid down the foundation for the successful company Rado at the beginning of the 20th century.
  • The Rado DiaStar was launched in 1962 and was the first scratchproof watch to be presented to the world.
  • Hardmetal, high-tech ceramic, lanthanum and nano-crystalline diamond – the company is well established for its innovative accomplishments in the field of material development.
  • The unusual designs of Rado timepieces have been honoured with many prestigious awards, including the Red Dot Award, the iF Design Award, and the Good Design Award.
From Schlup & Co. to Rado

Story of success since 1917

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The watch movement factory Schlup & Co. was established in Lengnau, Switzerland in 1917. Today, the movement factory has developed into a watch manufacturer named Rado who is one of the leading companies in the watch industry. The Schlup brothers initially focused on the production of watch movements during the first couple of decades of operation. Throughout the years, the company realised that they had enough capacity to not only manufacture movements but also to completely produces watches from start to finish. In 1957, the company presented its first entirely in-house produced watch collection and suitably named it the Rado Collection.

In 1962, the celebrated DiaStar timepiece was introduced to the watch market. It was the first scratch-resistant watch to be presented to the world and as a result, set new standards for robustness. Today, the DiaStar is considered a classic among the watch industry both due to the innovative materials utilised as well as the unique and oval form of the watch. Over the decades, Rado has continued to shimmer with a number of pioneering inventions that prove the timepiece as a master in innovation and design. Unique design elements along with and entrepreneurial spirit have led Rado to take on new challenges with confidence and excellence. Throughout the company history, various watch lines from the brand have been bestowed and celebrated with many international design awards.

A pure pioneering spirit

Extraordinary materials

“Less is more” is one of the main philosophies of Rado designers. But rather than referring to the creative designs of the refined timepieces, it actually refers to the choice of raw materials utilised in watch production. Since the launch of the DiaStar in the early 1960s, Rado has relied on extraordinary materials such as tungsten carbide, technical ceramics, lanthanum or nano-crystalline diamonds. Rado also adorns their innovative high-tech materials with precious commodities such as diamonds or gold. Such extravagant creations bear the name “Jubilee”.

The company has been able to reap much praise and recognition throughout the years for its courageous creations. Not only do the unique designs of Rado timepieces convince the juries of international design awards, but so do the structured shapes, the scratch-resistant high-tech materials, and the high comfort wear of the timepieces. In 1995, Rado was awarded the innovation prize from the Technology Venter Switzerland for the development of their Rado Concept 1. The manufacturing process of the horological masterpiece was the very first to utilise a polycrystalline diamond.

From DiaStar to Hyperchromic

Watch collections

The watches from Rado are renowned for their sturdy high-tech materials including specialised ceramics, carbide, and sapphire crystal. Careful processing of these materials allows for the creation of resilient Rado timepieces.

Throughout its history, Rado has presented a variety of covetable collections. The Rado Sintra, the Rado Integral, and the Rado true Thinline are just a few of the popular timepieces created by the company. Avant-garde rectangular forms and classic round shapes can be found in the extensive range of Rado timepieces.

The most famous model from the Rado brand is most likely the 1962 DiaStar 1, which was the first scratch-resistant watch to be presented to the world. Currently, the legendary watch can be found under the name “original” in the D-Star collection. The D-Star collection also includes the sporty D-Star 200 and the elegant D-Star, which are also highly sought-out models. Both then and now, scratch resistant hardmetal is the secret to numerous Rado collections. Thanks to the special hardness of the material, the watches are comparably resistant to watches that are made of steel, gold, or platinum, thus guaranteeing and impressive longevity.

From ceramics to diamonds

Robust and resistant

Aside from hardmetal, ceramic materials have also played an essential role in Rado company history. In 1990, the company launched the Rado Ceramica, which was the first watch in which both the case and bracelet were comprised of durable ceramic. Thanks to the innovative spirit of Rado, the Ceramica quickly established itself on the wrist and is now a concept that has been adopted by several manufacturers. Rado has accomplished a technological breakthrough with models such as the HyperChrome. A high-tech injection moulding process enables the production of a high-tech ceramic case that is developed in a singular piece. Whether comprised of a sleek black or a pure white, the HyperChrome watches continually impress with a hardness of 1250 Vickers. And in case the HyperChrome collection is not robust enough, the company also presents the Rado V10K. The case of this watch is made of high-tech diamond and enjoys an impressive hardness of 10,000 Vickers. The V10K is considered to be the hardest watch in the world, which is not surprising since its hardness is equated to that of a diamond.

In the world of the beautiful and the famous

Rado on the wrists of the prominent

Diamaster, Integral, Sintra, True, Centra and Ceramica – concealed behind the pleasing names of Rado timepieces are bold technological innovations.

The exceptional manufacturing processes of Rado, along with their timeless and simple designs have propelled the timepieces created by the renowned company into the highest ranks – especially when it comes to the world of sports. Official brand ambassadors of the watch include tennis pros Andy Murray and Julia Goerges. The close association between Rado and the tennis world is reflected in the Hyperchromic Court Collection. The 3 colour combination of the timepiece symbolises different tennis pitch coverings. The hard court is represented by the colour blue, the grass court is symbolised by the colour green, and the clay court is exemplified by the colour orange. The dial markers and hands match the colour scheme of the timepieces with a coloured Superluminova finish, further ensuring optimal legibility.

Outside of the tennis courts, numerous actors and celebrities also rely on the high-quality pieces by Rado and are repeatedly captured with a reliable Rado timepiece around the wrist.