Materials specialist

Introduction

Description

Durable. Beautiful. A watch designed to look good for life. 

Behind it all, a tradition of visionary research and cutting-edge materials technology. 

Learn more about Rado’s mastery of materials.  

Objectives

After completing this course you will be  

  1. familiar with Rado’s revolutionary high-tech materials
  2. able to explain why and how Rado uses high-tech materials for its watches and how this benefits the customer

Key facts about Rado high-tech materials

Section divider

At Rado, the complication is on the outside

Many watch brands sell their watches on the ‘complications’ of their movements. At Rado, the complex technology is in our high-tech materials. So, at Rado, we can say that the complication is on the outside of the watch referring to the high-tech materials and the technology used to create the case or bracelet of the watch.

The key aims of Rado’s use of high-tech materials is to produce

  • extremely comfortable watches
  • that will look good for a very long time

Rado is always researching new technologies to use new and improved high-tech materials for its watches. The inspiration for new materials often comes from outside the watch industry, from other fields of production, bringing the unexpected and new expertise into the industry.

Section divider

Key facts about Rado high-tech materials

Rado uses revolutionary materials to create some of the world’s most durable watches with excellent wearer comfort. Rado is the master of materials, because Rado...

  • … is a pioneer and leader in the use of high-tech materials in watchmaking
  • … produced its first scratch-resistant watch in 1962 (The Original, DiaStar 1)
  • … first used scratch-resistant high-tech ceramic in 1986
  • … has nearly 40 years of experience working with high-tech ceramic
  • … is among the pioneers in the production of sapphire crystal, which is nowadays the standard in the watch industry
  • … has numerous patents covering its original constructions, production processes and assembly techniques
  • … watches are extremely scratch-resistant and are designed to look good for many years
  • … watches are light, hypoallergenic, quickly adapt to skin temperature and provide ultimate comfort
  • … has been able to produce new colours in high-tech ceramic, which are difficult to make
  • … uses the latest technology and purest raw materials in the production of high-tech materials with supreme quality
  • … is able to make specific shapes, material combinations and colours for new design possibilities
  • … is always researching and developing technology to bring new and improved high-tech materials to the watch industry

Section divider

Glossary of key Rado technical terms

If you’re not sure about a term you can use the Rado Collection Book for detailed information. Here is an overview of some technical terms that you might encounter:

TECHNICAL TERM EXPLANATION
CARBON DIFFUSION
  • Treatment to harden stainless steel to approximately 1,000 Vickers
COMPOSITE
  • A mixture of materials
  • For example Ceramos is a composite material made up of ceramic and metal
CVD-COATING
  • CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) coating is a process to apply layers on a material
  • It is only used in the production of the Rado DiaStar Original hardmetal, to achieve the gold colour
DEBINDING
  • Step in the production process of high-tech ceramic
  • Polymer binder is removed from high-tech ceramic pieces using a chemical process
DIAMOND WHEEL / TOOLS
  • Tools made of synthetic diamond to rework high-tech ceramic pieces
  • Only these tools are hard enough to ensure the critical dimensions and quality finish of high-tech ceramic pieces
GRANULATE / FEEDSTOCK
  • Semi-finished product during the preparation for high-tech ceramic production
  • Solidified and granulated paste of powder, pigments and binder
INJECTION 
  • Step in the production process of high-tech ceramic
  • High-tech ceramic mixture is injected into a precision mould to get the desired shape
METALLISATION
  • Technique to colour the sapphire crystal
  • Is notably used in edge-to-edge constructions of the watch case (e.g. Centrix, Integral etc.)
Monobloc construction
  • Watch case construction technology used by Rado
  • Shaping the watch case in one single piece without the use of a steel core
  • A monobloc case consists of one full high-tech ceramic piece, which holds all the parts of the watch
MOULD
  • Precision tool for creating the shape of the watch case or bracelet links
Plasma carburising
  • Final step in the production process of plasma high-tech ceramic
  • Changing white ceramic into the metallic plasma high-tech ceramic colour
  • Gases activated at 20,000˚C alter the composition of high-tech ceramic without affecting its essential properties
Polymer binder
  • During preparation for high-tech ceramic production, the powder is mixed with polymer binder (synthetic material)
  • Binder acts as a moulding aid to be able to form and model high-tech ceramic
PVD-Coating
  • PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) coating is a process to apply layers on a material
  • Ideal for applying coloured hard layers onto stainless steel
>Si3N4
Silicon Nitride
  • Si3N4 is the chemical formula for silicon nitride
  • Ultra-light high-tech ceramic
  • Raw material of ultra-light high-tech ceramic
Sintering
  • Step in the production process of high-tech ceramic
  • ‘Baking’ of raw ceramic pieces
  • During this step the ceramic piece shrinks and reaches its final hardness
Super-LumiNova®
  • A luminescent material
  • Often applied to a watch’s dial, indexes or hands to make them visible in the dark
  • Rado only uses Super-LumiNova® , which contains non-radioactive phosphorescent pigments
Verneuil process
  • Production process of synthetic sapphire crystal
  • Lengthy and difficult process to shape it into watch crystals
Vickers Scale
  • Official scale for measuring the hardness of materials
  • The bigger the number, the harder the material and the more scratch-resistant
Zirconium oxide
  • Raw material for the production of high-tech ceramic

Section divider

The Rado Vision

A WATCH DESIGNED TO LOOK GOOD FOR LIFE

Ever since its foundation, Rado has had a pioneering spirit, with the brand philosophy “if we can imagine it, we can make it”.

With this philosophy in mind, Rado had a vision right from the start: to create a watch that would look good for a lifetime.

In 1962, a star was born: DiaStar 1. Marketed as "the world's first scratchproof* watch” or “watch for a lifetime”, the DiaStar 1 was a response to customer demands for comfort, durability and exclusive style.

Ever since, we have used revolutionary materials to create some of the world’s most durable watches.

*Please note that we can no longer use the word scratchproof. We must say scratch-resistant.

CREATE EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE WATCHES

In 1986, Rado was one of the first brands to explore the field of ceramics and to bring high-tech ceramic into the watch industry.

The Integral was Rado’s first watch to use scratch-resistant high-tech ceramic in a sleek black colour. It appeared on the bracelet middle links and was the beginning of Rado’s long history of working with high-tech ceramic.  

Ever since, we have used high-tech ceramic to create extremely comfortable watches that are designed to look good for life.

With 40 years’ experience in using high-tech ceramic in the construction of watches, Rado knows better than most how to design uncompromising products that are beautiful.

Section divider

From one innovation to another

Below are just some of the impressive milestones Rado has achieved so far with its high-tech materials.  

1917

SCHLUP & CO IS FOUNDED

Schlup & Co. clockwork factory was founded in Lengnau.

1957

One of the first Rado collections

RADO GOLDEN HORSE

Presentation of the first collections under the Rado brand name.

1962

RADO DIASTAR 1 (THE ORIGINAL)

The first scratch-resistant Rado watch. A revolution in watchmaking history. Tungsten carbide (hardmetal) case and sapphire crystal.  

1986

RADO INTEGRAL

The first Rado watch to use high-tech ceramic. The curved, edge-to-edge metallised sapphire crystal is affixed invisibly.  

1990

RADO Ceramica

The first Rado watch to be made using black high-tech ceramic for the case. The bracelet and case form a single unit. A design icon.  

1991

RADO COUPOLE

The first Rado watch made using white high-tech ceramic.  

1993

RADO SINTRA

The first Rado watch to be made using a titanium carbide based composite.  

1998

RADO CERAMICA

The first Rado watch in plasma high-tech ceramic. White ceramic is transformed through the plasma carburising process. The ceramic takes on a unique warm metallic shine - without the use of metal.  

2002

RADO V10K

The first series-produced Rado watch made using high-tech diamond to achieve a hardness of 10,000 Vickers. A synthetic layer of nanocrystalline diamond coats the world's hardest watch.  

2009

RADO R5.5

Designed by Jasper Morrison. The case of the r5.5 features the first ever use of bracelet attachments with concave surfaces in a Rado watch.  

2011

RADO D-STAR

The first Rado watch in Ceramos, a titanium carbide based composite. This injectable material paved the way for unprecedented designs and taut lines.  

2011

RADO TRUE THINLINE

Rado's thinnest ceramic watch, with a thickness of less than 5 mm for the quartz models. The first Rado watch with a ceramic monobloc case, the ultra-slim quartz movement is less than a millimetre thick. The entire structure of the watch was redesigned in order to reduce its size.  

2012

RADO HYPERCHROME

The complex monobloc case of this Rado model represents a break-through in technology as well as a step forward in design. Lightweight, extremely comfortable and eye-catching, it is the ultimate everyday all occasion timepiece.  

2013

RADO ESENZA CERAMIC TOUCH

The first Rado high-tech ceramic watch to use touch technology. Crownless, the watch is set using touch alone.  

2014

RADO HYPERCHROME
CERAMIC TOUCH DUAL TIMER

The first Rado high-tech ceramic touch watch with two time zones. The HyperChrome Ceramic Touch Dual Timer was also the first Rado watch made using cool grey high-tech ceramic.  

2015

RADO HYPERCHROME BROWN CERAMIC

The first Rado watch made using brown high-tech ceramic.  

2016

RADO HYPERCHROME ULTRA LIGHT

Crafted from ultra-light high-tech ceramic, the HyperChrome Ultra Light is 56g of design and technology in a watch that is designed to look good for a lifetime.  

2018

DIAMASTER ROSE GOLD COLOURED CERAMOS

For the first time in 2018, Rado injected rose gold coloured Ceramos to create the monobloc case of the new slim DiaMaster Ceramos automatic models.  

Section divider

Scratch resistance

Hardness in terms of scratch resistance is one of the key selling points of Rado watches and is what Rado is famous for worldwide.

The hardness of high-tech materials is designed to ensure

  • a long service life
  • unmatched brilliance of the watch
  • and durability

The official scale for measuring the hardness of materials is called the Vickers scale. The bigger the number, the harder the material.

According to the Vickers scale Rado high-tech materials are harder than traditional watchmaking materials.

Did you know…

that depending on the quality, steel is 100 to 900 Vickers whereas high-tech ceramic is 1,250 to 1,450? Consequently, high-tech ceramic is harder than steel.

Section divider

Key Rado Materials

Rado has been a pioneer and a leader in the field of high-tech materials from day one. Below is an overview of some of the main materials Rado uses to make its watches today.

HIGH-TECH CERAMIC

  • Light
  • Scratch-resistant
  • Adapts quickly to skin temperature
  • Comfortable
  • Hypoallergenic

PLASMA HIGH-TECH CERAMIC

  • Metallic colour won’t fade
  • Light
  • Scratch-resistant
  • Adapts quickly to skin temperature
  • Comfortable
  • Hypoallergenic

ULTRA-LIGHT HIGH-TECH CERAMIC

  • Ultra-light
  • Scratch-resistant
  • Adapts quickly to skin temperature
  • Comfortable
  • Hypoallergenic

CERAMOS

  • Scratch-resistant
  • Adapts quickly to skin temperature
  • Comfortable
  • Lightness of high-tech ceramic with a metallic look

SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL

  • Hardest substance after diamond
  • Scratch-resistant
  • All Rado watches have sapphire crystal
  • Hypoallergenic

HARDENED TITANIUM

  • Light
  • Scratch-resistant thanks to special treatment
  • Hypoallergenic

HARDMETAL

  • Scratch-resistant
  • With a metallic look

Section divider

Important: Scratch resistance of hard materials

Rado watches are hard, but they’re not indestructible. Although our high-tech materials are resistant to scratches, Rado watches must be treated with care.

High-tech ceramic can still be scratched by materials as hard as itself or harder. These include: high-tech ceramic, diamond, high-tech diamond, sandstone, corundum (found in concrete walls and nail files) and sandpaper.

Did you know…

that the normal day-to-day environment contains very few materials that are harder than high-tech ceramic? Under regular circumstances Rado high-tech ceramic watches will keep their shine for years.

Section divider

Important: Impact resistance of hard materials

The very high degree of hardness of high-tech ceramics makes it more likely that inadvertent impact with hard objects (dropping on hard surfaces, etc.) can damage the material – more likely than with substances that have a “softer” material composition.

Rado watches should not be dropped and sharp knocks should be avoided. If hit hard enough the materials may break.

Under regular circumstances, Rado watches will preserve their beauty and shine for many years to come.

Section divider

Words we can and can’t use to talk about Rado high-tech materials

When describing a watch or the material used we need to make sure that we use the correct terms. Below are some examples that correctly describe Rado high-tech materials and also misleading terms, which should be avoided.

KEY FEATURES OF RADO HIGH-TECH MATERIALS

  • Scratch-resistant
  • Durable
  • Long-lasting shine
  • Light
  • Comfortable to wear
    •

MISLEADING TERMS, WHICH DO NOT APPLY TO RADO HIGH-TECH MATERIALS

  • Scratchproof
  • Sturdy
  • Robust
  • Shockproof
  • Unbreakable
  • Indestructible
  • Unscratchable

Section divider

Pictograms of key rado materials

Rado has been a pioneer and a leader in the field of high-tech materials from day one. Below is an overview of some of the main materials Rado uses to make its watches today; the pictograms are also seen in the General Collection Book and on the price tags.

High-Tech Ceramic and Ceramos

High-tech ceramic
Plasma high-tech ceramic
Ultra-light
high-tech ceramic
Ceramos

SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL

Sapphire crystal
Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Sapphire Crystal With Anti-Reflective Coating on Both Faces

TITANIUM

Titanium
titanium/pvd
hardened titanium

Hardmetal

hardmetal
CVD-coated hardmetal
PVD-coated hardmetaL

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel
Carbon diffused steel
Diamond like carbon/Stainless steel
Stainless steel/PVD

STRAP MATERIALS

LEATHER
LEATHER. STRAP ALSO AVAILABLE IN XS/XL
FABRIC

PRECIOUS METALS AND STONES

18 CARAT/750 GOLD
GENUINE PRECIOUS STONES

Mother-of-Pearl

Mother-of-Pearl

Luminous Pigments

super-luminova®

Key features and benefits of high-tech ceramic

Section divider

RADO HIGH-TECH CERAMIC IS NOT REGULAR CERAMIC

Ceramic is an inorganic, non-metallic substance prepared by firing at high temperatures. Containers made from fired earth were first used around 9000 BC

High-tech ceramic was developed in the second half of the 20th century and can be found in a variety of high-tech applications where exceptional performance or properties are required including racing car brake discs and spacecraft thermal protection systems.

What makes Rado high-tech ceramic distinctive to regular ceramic is that it is made using very pure raw materials (e.g. aluminium oxide, zirconium, silicon nitride) – perfectly calibrated powders – to produce completely dense objects with exceptional mechanical properties.

CERAMIC

HIGH-TECH CERAMIC
Natural Man made
Flawed natural materials Perfectly calibrated powders created from highly purified materials
Porous Fully dense
Hard Harder
Fragile Relatively shock-resistant

Section divider

Production of a high-tech ceramic watch

The production of high-tech ceramic is complicated and a very long process. It requires high levels of expertise to form pure powder into one structure. Here is an overview of the most important steps in the production process:

1

Pure raw materials

High-tech ceramic timepieces start their lives as ultrafine zirconium oxide powder, which is also used in other high-tech applications such as medical and space technology.

2

Preparing for injection

Pigments are added to the powder to set its colour. These are then mixed together with a polymer binder, which acts as a moulding aid. The paste is then solidified and granulated.

3

Injection

The melted ceramic feedstock is injected under high pressure into a complex mould. Once it has cooled the polymer binder is removed from the pieces using a chemical process.

4

Sintering

The true colour and final density (shrinking of around 23%) of the ceramic pieces emerge after they are ‘baked’ in an oven at 1,450°C. Rado has pioneered the technology to be able to create different colours of high-tech ceramic, which are difficult to recreate consistently.

Did you know…

that after the injection process the piece is highly delicate and easy to break? Only after the sintering process high-tech ceramic gets its final properties and colour.

5

Finishing & polishing

Components then are reworked using diamond tools to achieve certain critical dimensions relating to assembly. The parts are then polished, brushed or matt-finished to obtain a finished ceramic part. This can take up to several days.

6

Quality control

A strict quality control process ensures the flawless beauty of each ceramic component that goes into a Rado watch. Each piece is checked by hand in accordance with extremely strict aesthetic quality criteria. Any defects, such as scratches, chips, deformations will result in the piece being rejected.

7

Finished case & Bracelet links

The finished components are now ready for further assembly (e.g. sapphire glass or full bracelet).

8

Assembly

The components are assembled to form the beautiful timepiece.

9

The final product

A perfect ceramic watch. Here the True shows off its glossy black high-tech ceramic surfaces.

Section divider

Production of a plasma high-tech ceramic watch

Plasma high-tech ceramic is unlike Rado’s other ceramic colours, not born of a pigment, but of a cutting-edge treatment, the plasma carburising process. The treatment is applied to fully finished white ceramic pieces, so it only begins once the labour-intensive steps described above are completed.

1. PLASMA OVEN

Polished white ceramic watch components are placed in a specially designed plasma oven. Here, gases are activated at 20,000°C. They trigger a chemical reaction that changes the composition of the surface of the ceramic.

2. Finished BRACELET LINKS & cases

This results in a change of colour from white to plasma, a unique metallic grey that does not contain any metal at all. The metallic colour comes from the inside out and will not fade over time. Plasma high-tech ceramic has the same essential properties – light, scratch-resistant, hypoallergenic – as high-tech ceramic.

Section divider

groundbreaking monobloc high-tech ceramic case

Rado produces advanced shapes by means of injection moulding. The True Thinline was the brand’s first ceramic watch to use an injected monobloc case construction.

This new injection moulding technique gave birth to hitherto unseen design possibilities for ceramic watches. For the first time you could shape the case in one single piece without the use of a steel core. Yet again Rado seized upon technical advances to embrace new design possibilities.

A monobloc case consists of one piece, which holds all the parts of the watch. Unlike any other ceramic case construction, the ceramic is not a decoration of the steel in the core, but is a full high-tech ceramic case.

Only this case construction made exclusive designs such as True Thinline or HyperChrome possible. At the same time this case construction provides extreme lightness and new levels of comfort.

Xeramo watch case with a metal interior core
True watch case (until 2015) with a metal interior core
True 2015 onwards with monobloc case

Section divider

high-tech ceramic: Durability – Beauty – Comfort

Rado is a pioneer and leader in the field of high-tech ceramic for watchmaking. The brand has 40 years of experience with this modern material. Below is an overview of the main features of Rado’s high-tech ceramic.

SCRATCH-RESISTANT

The structure of ceramic acts as a shield against all manner of wear and tear, offering exceptional scratch resistance.

A Rado high-tech ceramic watch is designed to look good for life: extremely scratch-resistant, durable, will retain its shine and colour for years to come.

Light

Due to its density high-tech ceramic is extremely light. Ultra-light high-tech ceramic is pushing the concept of lightness even further.

Smooth and lightweight, it floats on the wrist, becoming an extension of the wearer.

hypoallergenic

As a non-metallic material, high-tech ceramic is chemically inert and will not alter skin chemistry or cause any other negative reactions.

Gentle and hypoallergenic, high-tech ceramic can be worn by anyone with metal allergies or sensitive skin.

EASILY adapts to skin temperature

High-tech ceramic adapts to your skin temperature almost immediately.

A high-tech ceramic watch will never feel too hot or too cold against your skin.

Design-led

High-tech materials can also be used in the service of design, making specific shapes and designs possible.

Also by varying the composition of the ceramic, Rado’s timepieces gain a colourful new look.

Section divider

high-tech ceramic

FEATURES

  • Scratch-resistant
  • Light
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Adapts to skin temperature quickly
  • Wide colour palette
BENEFITS
  • Comfortable to wear
  • Watch will look good for many years
  • Customer has a wide range of colour choice
  • Colour is part of the ceramic and won’t fade over time

AVAILABLE IN…

  • Rado has developed over 20 colours of high-tech ceramic
  • Matt finish
  • Polished, high-gloss finish

FEATURING CURRENT COLLECTION

  • High-tech ceramic features in nearly all international Rado collections in watch case, full bracelet or middle links

Did you know…

  • Rado uses the latest technology and purest raw materials in the production of high-tech ceramic
  • Rado has strict aesthetic quality criteria for all high-tech ceramic pieces
  • High-tech ceramic has been the Rado signature material for 40 years
  • In 1986, the Integral was Rado’s first watch to use scratch-resistant high-tech ceramic in the bracelet
  • Rado has pioneered the technology to be able to create different colours of high-tech ceramic, which are difficult to recreate consistently

Section divider

Plasma high-tech ceramic

FEATURES

  • Metallic looking watch with all the benefits of high-tech ceramic
  • Scratch-resistant
  • Light
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Adapts to skin temperature quickly
BENEFITS
  • Comfortable to wear
  • Watch will look good for many years
  • Metallic colour won’t fade over time

AVAILABLE IN…

  • Warm metallic colour
  • Matt finish
  • Polished, high-gloss finish

Did you know…

  • High-tech ceramic with a warm metallic appearance, but contains no metal
  • Rado uses the latest technology and purest raw materials in the production of high-tech ceramic
  • Rado has strict aesthetic quality criteria for all high-tech ceramic pieces
  • Rado pioneered the plasma carburising process in high-tech ceramic for watchmaking and used it for the first time in 1998

Section divider

Ultra-light high-tech ceramic

FEATURES

  • Almost half the weight of regular ceramic
  • Scratch-resistant
  • Light
  • Hypoallergenic
  • Adapts to skin temperature quickly
  • Colour is in the ceramic and won’t fade over time
BENEFITS
  • Extremely light
  • Comfortable to wear
  • Watch will look good for many years
  • Colour is part of the ceramic and won’t fade over time

AVAILABLE IN…

  • Dark grey, bronze and brown colours
  • Matt finish
  • Polished finish

Did you know…

  • Rado first used ultra-light high-tech ceramic in 2011 on the True Thinline
  • Rado believes that ultra-light high-tech ceramic is the material of the future

Section divider

Ceramos

FEATURES

  • Ceramos is a trademark to Rado
  • Around 90% ceramic, 10% metal alloy
  • Scratch-resistant
  • Light
  • Colour is in the Ceramos and won’t fade over time
BENEFITS
  • Comfortable to wear
  • Watch will look good for many years
  • Colour is in the Ceramos and won’t fade over time

AVAILABLE IN…

  • Yellow gold colour
  • Rose gold colour
  • Platinium colour
  • Polished, high-gloss finish

Did you know…

  • Ceramos was first used in its injectable form on the D-Star in 2011
  • Ceramos can be seen as the evolution of hardmetal, similar hardness, but much lighter than hardmetal
  • In 2018, Rado introduced the Ceramos case in the DiaMaster Collection

Colour

Colour

  • Colour is important to Rado and is one of our communication pillars. From the technical achievement of coloured high-tech ceramic to the bright dials of the Rado True Secret you will find something that catches your eye
  • Achieving exact shades in high-tech ceramic with consistency requires hours of painstaking research. That we are able to do so proves we deserve the name «Master of Materials»
  • To date Rado has achieved the creation of over twenty colours in high-tech ceramic
  • Rado True Thinline Les Couleurs Le Corbusier shows our mastery. Exactly matching shades from the polychromie architecturale developed by Le Corbusier the collection including nine colours took us 10 years to develop
  • From the coloured high-tech ceramic bezel inserts of the Rado Captain Cook to brightly coloured designer collaborations there are many splashes of colour from Rado
  • Creating coloured high-tech ceramic is complicated, requiring many hours of research and development
  • Colour pigment, in the form of a chemical compound, is added to the high-purity zirconium oxide powder as we create the feedstock before we injection mould the high-tech ceramic pieces
  • To achieve the perfect, ultra dense and extremely durable high-tech ceramic Rado is known for, the zirconium oxide powder has a uniform particle size of 0.001mm. The chemical pigment has a larger grain size and must be milled, along with the zirconium oxide powder to achieve the correct, ultra-fine consistency
  • After creation of the feedstock and injection moulding each piece must be sintered in our special ovens that reach 1,450°C for up to seven days
  • At this temperature many of the compounds we use are very unstable, achieving an exact, consistent result takes great technical skill
  • Only after sintering is the final colour revealed

Key features and benefits of materials

Section divider

Materials with a Rado twist

With its truly visionary spirit and ceaseless quest for innovation, Rado has never limited itself to just one class of materials in producing its watches. Besides high-tech ceramic Rado also uses traditional materials with special treatments to provide similar levels of:

  • lightness
  • durability
  • comfort

These are some high-tech materials with a Rado twist:

  • sapphire crystal
  • hardmetal
  • titanium with hardening treatment
  • stainless steel with hardening treatment

Section divider

Sapphire crystal

FEATURES

  • The sapphire used for the crystals is synthetic – it is “grown” using the Verneuil process
  • Has exactly the same structure as natural sapphire
  • Transparent and extremely hard - one of the hardest materials after diamond
BENEFITS
  • Extremely scratch-resistant
  • Watch will look good for many years

AVAILABLE IN…

  • Transparent glass
  • Convex, facetted, flat or box-shaped
  • Metallised (yellow, rose gold colours, black etc.)

FEATURING CURRENT COLLECTION

  • All Rado watches have a sapphire crystal cover
  • Most automatic watches have open case back with sapphire crystal

Did you know…

  • Rado first used sapphire crystal on a large scale on the Rado DiaStar 1 in 1962
  • Sapphire crystal is a signature material of Rado and features in many of its designs
    • Covers the entire case in edge-to-edge constructions
    • Metallised sapphire crystal is used to conceal the gasket
  • Sapphire crystal can be coated on both sides with anti-reflective treatment
  • A lengthy and difficult process is required to shape it into watch crystals
  • Rado developed the ability to shape sapphire crystal, Anatom had the first convex sapphire crystal

Section divider

Hardmetal

FEATURES

  • Hardmetal is a composite material made up of ceramic - tungsten carbide - and a binder metal
  • Combines the hardness of ceramic with the stiffness of metal
  • Exceptionally durable material – harder than steel, gold and platinum
BENEFITS
  • Extremely scratch-resistant
  • Watch will look good for many years

AVAILABLE IN…

  • Metallic colour
  • Polished, high-gloss finish
  • Gold colour obtained with CVD process

FEATURING CURRENT COLLECTION

  • Still used by Rado today in the DiaStar Original

Did you know…

  • Rado pioneered its use in the watch industry in 1962 with the DiaStar 1, Rado’s first scratch-resistant watch

Section divider

Titanium

FEATURES

  • Lighter than steel, but with similar mechanical resistance
  • Exceptional corrosion resistance
  • Hypoallergenic
BENEFITS
  • Light, comfortable
  • Rado has developed a special hardening treatment to improve the scratch resistance of titanium used in some Rado watches

AVAILABLE IN…

  • Metallic, dark grey colour
  • Matt finish
  • Polished finish

FEATURING CURRENT COLLECTION

  • Folding parts on bracelet and strap clasps
  • Case backs

Did you know…

  • With hardening treatment hardness on the surface is boosted up to 1,000 Vickers (compared to a raw hardness of 350 Vickers)

Section divider

Stainless steel

FEATURES

  • Stainless steel is easy to machine and polish
  • Can create rounded and geometric shapes easily
BENEFITS
  • It is possible to repolish stainless steel watches

AVAILABLE IN…

  • Metallic colour
  • Matt finish possible
  • Polished, high gloss finish possible

FEATURING CURRENT COLLECTION

  • Case, bracelet or bracelet links of Centrix, Integral, Coupole, Coupole Classic and Florence
  • Is used on Tradition collection watches to create a design that is true to the original version

Section divider

Diamonds

FEATURES

  • Natural diamond is the hardest substance Rado uses on its watches
  • Diamonds are a natural complement to the long-lasting beauty of Rado timepieces
BENEFITS
  • Diamonds add an additional look and feel of luxury
  • Timeless brilliance
  • Customer is guaranteed diamonds come from an ethical source
  • Quality is assured

AVAILABLE IN…

  • Rado only uses Top Wesselton coloured diamonds
  • The cut is usually brilliant (full cut) or 8/8 for small diameter diamonds

FEATURING CURRENT COLLECTION

  • Used for dials in various Rado collections

Did you know…

  • Rado only buys stones that meet the requirements of the Kimberley process, which prevents the use of blood diamonds
  • The Rado description “jubilé” refers to any watch set with diamonds or precious stones
  • Each watch comes with a certificate of authenticity giving detailed information about the number, type and weight of the stones used

Section divider

Mother-of-pearl

FEATURES

  • Naturally occurring substance created in the shells of some molluscs
  • The structure diffracts light due to the size of the plates, which is very similar to the wavelength of light
BENEFITS
  • No two structures are the same, making each piece unique
  • Natural iridescence
  • Changing colours depending on the light and angle

AVAILABLE IN…

  • Different colour variations
  • With applied indexes or diamonds

FEATURING CURRENT COLLECTION

  • Used for dials in all Rado international collections

Remember

Remember that Rado is the master of materials, because Rado...

  • … is a pioneer and leader in the use of high-tech materials in watchmaking
  • … produced its first scratch-resistant watch in 1962 (The Original, DiaStar 1)
  • … first used scratch-resistant high-tech ceramic in 1986
  • … has nearly 40 years of experience working with high-tech ceramic
  • … is among the pioneers in the production of sapphire crystal, which is nowadays the standard in the watch industry
  • … has numerous patents covering its original constructions, production processes and assembly techniques
  • … watches are extremely scratch-resistant and are designed to look good for many years
  • … watches in high-tech ceramic are light, hypoallergenic, quickly adapt to skin temperature and provide ultimate comfort
  • … has been able to produce new colours in high-tech ceramic, which are difficult to make
  • … uses the latest technology and purest raw materials in the production of high-tech materials with supreme quality
  • … is able to make specific shapes, material combinations and colours for new design possibilities
  • … is always researching and developing technology to bring new and improved high-tech materials to the watch industry