For the 60-year anniversary of “the world’s first scratchproof watch”, Rado’s DiaStar 1 from 1962 is re-launched both as an “original” series in three dial colors and as a special “Anniversary Edition” in Ceramos, created in collaboration with the Swiss designer Alfredo Häberli. The goal was to keep the strong personality of its predecessor, while also upgrading it.

The DiaStar 60-Year Anniversary Edition has been created in collaboration with the Swiss designer Alfredo Häberli.

When Rado was still operating as Schlup & Co., the company decided to create a watch “that could outlast, outshine and outlive practically every other fine timepiece on the market.” With that goal in mind, the company’s engineers and designers had to explore the use of new materials for the case and the watch crystal. To build a watch that would be scratch-proof, Rado eventually turned to an alloy of tungsten carbide called ?Hardmetal?. On top of that shiny, highly-resistant case, a sapphire crystal – almost as hard and durable as diamond – was added (hence the name DiaStar). On November 28, 1961, Rado officially patented the use of said metal alloy for watch-case manufacturing and became the first company to combine such a case with a sapphire crystal. Unsurprisingly, the DiaStar was advertised as “a watch like no other watch.” Perhaps more importantly, the DiaStar became the blueprint for what Rad...