Rado is known to most knowledgeable watch enthusiasts as a brand that pioneered the use of ceramics in watchmaking. However, Rado also prides itself on its commitment to avant-garde design, both in its own products and in other fields. This year, the brand teamed with three of today’s hottest designers to produce three very unique limited-edition timepieces in its True collection. Here’s a closer look.
The Swiss watch brand collaborated with the Swiss design studio Big-Game to create The Rado True Phospho, which offers a distinctly modern take on the skeleton watch. Applying Big-Game’s design language of simple shapes and functionality, the watch is distinguished by its black brass dial, which is perforated to allow the movement ? the automatic ETA Caliber C07.631, with up to 80 hours’ power reserve ? to peek through. The perforations also serve to highlight the luminescent indices, formed by filling empty spaces with Super-LumiNova to create geometric shapes. The luminous substance is also used on the tips of the hour and minute hands, and fully coats the central seconds hand, resulting in a very legible reading of the time in the dark.
The 40-mm case of the True Phospho ? named for its glowing effect ? is made from a monobloc of matte black ceramic case and includes an exhibition caseback made of sandblasted black PVD titanium. A sapphire window in the caseback provides a view of the movement, which has a Super-LumiNova-coated rotor. The watch ...