First launched in 1961, the Rado Captain Cook timepiece was in sync with the times when recreational diving had become extremely popular and the craze for dive watches had gripped people, thanks to the ingenious creations that were being doled out by various watch companies, back then. Not that it has stopped now, but dive timers were a unique phenomenon in the ‘60s and Rado did well to come up with a design that has served them well over the years.

Named after the British navigator and explorer James Cook, the remarkable design of the first Captain Cook watch stood out for its highly geometric case measuring 35.5mm, topped by a concave inward-sloping bezel, and protected by a domed acrylic crystal glass with a date-magnifying sub lens. Powered by an automatic movement with a gold rotor, this was presented on a beads-of-rice style bracelet (which has witnessed a resurgence in many dive watches of late). However, the highlight was the solid steel caseback with engravings of two seahorses that and the words ‘Water Sealed’, which vouched for its waterproofness. The timepiece stayed in production till 1968 and was soon forgotten only to be revived by the brand in 2017, when it was introduced as a ‘retro replica’ of the original design albeit in a slightly larger case size of 37mm. And Rado has continued building up on this collection, which now constitutes an important part of their portfolio.

So What’s New?

The Swiss watchmaker recently introduced a new timepiece—the Captain Cook High Tech Ceramic Special Edition, which echoes their contemporary watchmaking ethos of using new and innovative materials. Crafted in high-tech ceramic, the new launch is also special for the Indian market as it has been developed along with Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan, who has been their brand ambassador since 2011. The 43mm watch pays homage to the vintage Captain Cook look and feel: it features a box-shaped sapphire crystal with a unique ‘bubble’ look, designed for men, who truly want to own their style. This tinted black crystal protects a cut-away dial, which offers a peek into the inner workings of the Calibre 734 automatic movement, which supplies an 80-hour power reserve. This in-house movement is equipped with anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring, which improves reliability by protecting it from magnetic fields. Also, while industry standards require movement testing in three positions, Rado tests each watch in five different positions, thereby offering better accuracy.

Aesthetically Pleasing: Monobloc Construction

While observing the watch closely, one will find that Rado has used its patented ‘monobloc’ construction in matte, high-tech plasma ceramic for the case. This construction style is unique since it involves the primary movement components to be fastened directly into the case. There’s also a polished rose-gold-coloured, PVD coated stainless steel screw-down crown on the side at 3 o’clock. This is topped by a stainless-steel rotating bezel coated in rose gold PVD, containing high-tech plasma ceramic inlay and rose-gold-coloured lacquered numbers, markers and, triangle. The dial features Super-LumiNova highlights on the rose-gold-coloured hands and applied indexes, which stand out in strong contrast against the black backdrop. On turning the watch over, one can get a glimpse of the movement through the sapphire crystal on the brushed titanium caseback, decorated with the “HRITHIK ROSHAN SPECIAL EDITION” signature, metallised in rose gold colour on the glass. But despite not having a solid, closed caseback the watch offers a generous water-resistance of up to 300m—staying true to its dive watch legacy! Presented on a high-tech ceramic 3-row bracelet with matte plasma outer links and polished plasma high-tech ceramic middle links, the new Rado Hrithik Roshan Special Edition is designed for the outdoors and for those seeking an adrenaline rush, always ready to take on a new challenge.

Available at all Rado boutiques and leading watch retailers in the country. 

Price: Rs 3,37,600 

Images: Rado