Tracing the journey of Rado's Captain Cook
Up until a few years ago, Rado’s Captain Cook was a rather obscure watch. A stylish skin diver from the middle of last century, a time when many brands (many of whom aren’t around these days) tried their hands at the genre. Rado made Captain Cook watches from 1962 to 1972. After then, the brand shifted its focus to other areas, like absolutely crushing it in the world of high-tech ceramics. But, driven by the powerful winds of the heritage-style revival, the Captain Cook surfaced again, at Baselworld 2017, and over the last few years has become well-regarded by critics and watch lovers alike. We’re going to have a look at seven key models in the modern Captain Cook line-up. Rado Captain Cook Automatic limited edition This little 37mm looker started it all. A limited edition of 1962 pieces, it was a surprise hit of Basel 2017 because it was such a faithful take on the 1962 original. Rado Captain Cook Automatic In addition to the LE, Rado also released a regular production version of the Captain Cook, which was practically identical. The only major differences were a simpler black dial, and a three-link steel bracelet. Rado HyperChrome Captain Cook …
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Editor’s note: While the Pilot might be IWC’s hero of the hour, the equally large but more classically inspired Portugieser is an equally important line. Felix finds out why … There’s a good reason the Portugieser collection is one of IWC’s most popular (in Australia at least). It’s a big, commanding watch that nevertheless possesses a grace and charm that belies its large size. This combination makes it one of the go-to statement watches. But did you know that it’s also got the weight of history behind it? A little while ago we chatted with IWC museum curator and general know-it-all David Seyffer for a quick history lesson on the mighty Portugieser.
Emerging from the safety of black, blue and white dial sport watches, the radiant TAG Heuer Aquaracer in emerald green marks an adventurous step forward for the line-up. Yet for a brand that is no stranger to radical innovation (Mikrotimer Flying 1000, anyone?), it’s surprising that it took them this long to come out with a green dial sport watch. But no matter. The green dials have arrived, and they’re here to stay. At 43 and 32mms in diameter (men’s and women’s versions respectively), as well as 300m of water resistance, sapphire crystal and all the other bells and whistles you’d expect, these handsome new additions toe the party line when it comes to Aquaracer specs, yet confidently stand apart in terms of visual appeal. Despite both being green, the men’s and women’s versions each showcase the colour in different ways. The grooves created by the horizontally striped dial of the men’s version enable the green to appear darker in the recesses and lighter on top. The result is an engaging alternating pattern of deep and bright greens – a simple but effective use of dial texture to showcase different dimensions of one colour. On the other hand, the women’s…
Broadly speaking, heritage-inspired watches fall into two significant camps — faithful reissues or modern interpretations. The Tissot Heritage 1973 Chronograph falls very much into the former camp. And, as far as faithful reissues go, it’s awesome. The big picture is the case, which is a hefty, hunky cushion — bonus points for the smart mix of case finishings, which is something you rarely see on a watch, let alone one at this price point. The dial is also a straight-up smash hit: panda-style, with a retro Tissot logo and charming orange highlights. A domed sapphire tops it off and the 7753 is an exceptionally reliable auto that is the perfect choice for this sort of watch. You don’t have to be a fan of mid-70s motorsports to wear this watch but, good golly, it would help. Tissot Heritage 1973 Chronograph price Tissot Heritage 1973 Chronograph, limited to 1973 pieces, $2900 AUD Made in partnership with Tissot. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.
It’s that time of year again. Apple has unveiled their latest and greatest Watch (as well as some pretty serious new iPhones), which has the unsurprising name of Apple Watch Series 5. And there’s always a lot to unpack with the world’s most popular watch (yeah, I went there). There are small but significant advances, like international support for emergency calls, improvements to navigation and watchOS 6. But really, for us it comes down to three main points, two of which are pretty obvious, and the third is a small, but substantial change. The Apple Watch Series 5 now comes in titanium So the form factor of the Series 5 remains the same as Series 4, which was a big change, but this time around we’re treated to some new case materials, along with the core steel, gold and space black aluminium treatments (which is now recycled). We also get a fresh new white ceramic and a slick black ceramic option for the top-tier Hermès edition. But to our minds it’s the titanium that is the standout. Lightweight and tough, titanium has long been a go-to material for active watch cases and it makes perfect sense on the Apple…