LIST: Looking back at Rado’s heritage highlights
Rado isn’t a brand that you typically think of when you think about ‘heritage’. On the one hand this makes perfect sense, as the brand is best known for their decidedly modern materials and avant-garde designs. But on the other, Rado has been around for a while (since 1917), and has a host of great old styles to draw on. And, in recent years, Rado has been more active in doing just that, and we’ve picked our favourites. Naturally, the Captain Cook looms large, in both its faithful — near facsimile grade — models, as well as the larger, more modern interpretations. And then there’s the super chunky, super funky HyperChrome 1616, a really cool take on a cushion case. If these watches prove anything it’s that Rado has what it takes to make a heritage release that holds up with the best of them, and we can’t wait to see what 2019 brings.
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Really, at the heart of the appeal of a mechanical watch is the ticking, whirring escapement that sets the pace. That and the assemblage of wheel and bridges that powers and supports it. So it’s apt then that this Rado cuts to the core quickly: the True Open Heart lives up to its name, exposing its metal innards enough to satisfy the curiosity of the wearer, while still living up to Rado’s strong, and distinct sense of design, with its slick plasma toned ceramic, and a black dial that maintains legibility despite its pared-back nature. Rado True Open Heart Australian Pricing Rado True Open Heart, $2900
Rado had a great year of releases in 2018, with a diverse mix of watches that played to their traditional high-tech material strengths, as well as to some of their traditional designs. And while ceramic naturally played an important part, it was used in some surprising ways — like when it was mixed with bronze to create a very cool HyperChrome, and mixed with other metals to create the new alloy Ceramos. And then there were the brand’s tributes to their historic Captain Cook models, two similar but different takes on a great old internal bezel diver. And while the small version is cool, my heart really sings for the 45mm version.
One of the more intriguing releases from Tudor this year — and one that didn’t get quite the attention it otherwise would have, thanks to the show-stealing GMT — was the classically styled 1926. Taking its name from the year the Tudor name was registered, it also owes some design cues to this golden era of style. Take, for example, the finely textured waffle dial, with the blued Arabic numerals interspersed with arrow-head markers. Lovely, but also wearable, and entirely wearable nearly 100 years later. The case is well-sized, the movement rock solid, and the solidly made bracelet adds a nice dash of slash. It all means you’ve got a watch that looks the business, no matter what the business is. Tudor 1926 Australian pricing Tudor 1926, white dial with blue numerals, $2210
A little while ago I made my way down to Cartier’s Collins Street boutique in Melbourne, spent a little time amidst the glittering plinths and picked out some watches that, for me at least, really epitomise what makes the Maison’s watchmaking so great. Of course there are numerous shapes in attendance, from the circle of the Ballon Bleu through to the bold rectangles of the Tank. Really, though, the common thread through these eight watches is the overall strength of design, and the timelessness of it. All eight of these watches — regardless of shape, case metal and even complications — are classics, in the truest sense of the word. And that’s what makes them great.
A little while ago I posited that the Tissot Seastar 1000 Powermatic 80 was the best-value diver of 2018, a bold claim I still back. Today, it’s time to meet the Seastar’s dressy cousin, the Chemin des Tourelles. This watch is powered by the same, quite impressive Powermatic 80 as the Seastar, but on the surface it’s a completely different looking beast. A 42mm case, with a flashy blue starburst dial with an outer level of quite fancy Clous de Paris style finishing, which goes well with the applied numerals. This Tissot hits a lot of familiar, friendly notes, and is a perfect contender for daily wear in a semi-formal context. And with a RRP of just on $1000 it offers a heck of a lot of value. Tissot Chemin des Tourelles Australian pricing Tissot Chemin des Tourelles, steel on leather, $1000
At its heart, Panerai is about diving. The brand was born under the waves and continues to call the underwater world home. Which is why we found ourselves, several weeks ago, watching — slightly nervously — as a brace of Panerai Submersibles dipped into a giant tank full of rays, sharks and other (less threatening) fish at the Melbourne Aquarium. Thankfully, the watches were attached to the wrists of professional divers, who put them through their paces, leaving us in the position to debate the various merits of three stars in the Submersible line-up: the Submersible Carbotech, the Submersible in 42mm stainless steel, and the Submersible BMG-Tech. And while these three watches are all rock-solid, purpose-built dive watches, they also show off Panerai’s expertise when it comes to materials science. The Carbotech, named for the carbon composite it’s made from, is aggressive-looking, light-weight and downright cool. The 42mm steel model is classic in its construction and design. Finally, the BMG-Tech offers a bit of both: traditional Panerai styling with decidedly non-traditional material science in the form of the amorphous alloy case. For all that the superficial look is the same, these three watches are decidedly different.
When it comes to materials, it’s hard to beat Rado. The brand is a master of innovative materials. They pioneered ultra hard metals and ceramics, and continue to push the realms of the possible. The latest is Ceramos, an alloy of ceramic and metal that offers the best of both worlds — the lightness and scratch-resistance of ceramic, paired with the finish and lustre of metal. Here they’ve chosen to deploy Ceramos on the relatively conservative DiaMaster Thinline, a classic two-hander with a date. So, if you like your tradition with a healthy dose of technical, check out the Rado DiaMaster Thinline Ceramos. Rado DiaMaster Thinline Ceramos Australian pricing Rado DiaMaster Thinline Ceramos, $3025.