Rado

Rado was first found in 1917 under the name Schlup &Co. by brothers Fritz, Ernst and Werner Schlup. The brothers converted part of their parents home into a watchmaking factory and though slowly at first, they grew and developed their business. Their success was evident and by the end of World War 2, Schlup & Co. had become one of the largest producers of watch movements in the world.

The brand’s first major success was with the Golden Horse collection from 1957. The new collection was one the first to come out under the Rado name. Following in its steps, in 1958 the Green Horse collection was released. It was the first model to be advertised for its water-resistance by Rado. Both these collections pioneered a detail which has been seen in every automatic model to follow, the moving anchor symbol on the dial. The 1950s also brought about international success, with the brand expanding globally and reaching more than 61 countries.

The release of the DiaStar 1 in 1962, marked the beginning of a new era for Rado. The robust model combined cutting-edge materials with a trendy design. The brand pioneered the use of hardmetal and sapphire glass, making the DiaStar 1 the first scratch-resistant Rado watch. This set the precedent for all future Rado designs and started a tradition which has now continued for almost 60 years.

Throughout the next two decades, Rado established themselves as innovators in the realm of watchmaking materials. The 80s saw the brand introduce the Rado Integral, the first model to use high-tech ceramics, a material which became one of its staples. The model also honed not only Rado’s now-signature material but also its distinctive minimalist design.

In the late to mid-90s, Rado perfected the use of high-tech ceramics and pioneered two new materials: cermet, a titanium-based ceramic combined with metal, and plasma high-tech ceramics. The latter allowed the brand to produce a variety of products in a range of different colours with a metallic sheen, suitable for any taste, while still keeping the products hypoallergenic, without any metal. A decade later, to welcome the new millennium, Rado introduced yet another fascinating material high-tech diamonds. The V10K watch was coated in the high-tech diamond making it Rado’s ultimate scratch-resistant model at the time.