Similarly, the bezel insert is ceramic – an extremely hard material that Rado has long mastered – to create a more hardwearing timepiece. A closer look at the Rado Captain Cook Automatic The box shaped crystal, for instance, has been rendered in scratchproof sapphire instead of the original’s acrylic. This is found in all self-winding Rado timepieces.ĭespite its retro aesthetics, the Captain Cook Automatic’s technical features are all decidedly modern for robustness and reliability. The timepiece also has Rado’s signature anchor symbol at 12 o’clock, which freely spins on a ruby bearing. The arrow-shaped hour hand and sword-shaped minute hand reinforce this, as do the domed dial and trapezoid hour indices.ĭespite this archaic design language, the watch remains extremely legible – a crucial trait that harks back to its tool watch origins. The timepiece is sized at 42 millimetres to suit contemporary tastes, but speaks the same vintage design language of the original from 1962, beginning with the signature concave bezel. Various iterations have been developed and released since then, with the latest being the new Captain Cook Automatic. In 2017, the watch made its return as the HyperChrome Captain Cook Limited Edition, which emulated the original’s vintage design language so well that it could have passed off as an archival model. The new Captain Cook Automatic on a a stainless steel bracelet and leather strap Although the timepiece was eventually discontinued, it remains a significant chapter in Rado’s history for being the brand’s first foray into dive watches. As a bona fide dive watch, the Captain Cook came equipped with features such as the unidirectional rotating bezel with which to measure dive times. Of course, the exploration this time was different since it went below the sea’s surface. Captain James Cook was the famed British explorer and cartographer whose work included mapping large swaths of the Pacific from Hawaii to New Zealand. The very name of the timepiece alluded to the spirit of marine exploration.
Rado had recognised the importance of the dive watch to undersea exploration, which led the brand to create the original Captain Cook. The nascent sport of scuba diving was developing quickly and the dive watch, a critical piece of equipment, was evolving along with it. The chunky 45mm case combined with its 100 metres water-resistant ability mean this watch is ready pretty much for anything.First released in 1962, the Captain Cook was Rado’s take on the dive watch, which was exploding in popularity at the time. You can choose whether to dress this watch up or down. It is subtle enough to be worn every day but still stylish and unique for any watch-lover to appreciate. You won’t be able to take your eyes off this beauty when it’s on your wrist. It is encased in a sapphire crystal glass that makes the minute intervals ping, and the second hand’s red tip is a nice touch. The silver-tone hands and hour markers with a luminescent coating make this watch pop. The dial on this timepiece is presented in bold black, enhanced by an easy to read white date window at 3 o’clock. The stainless steel strap is a classic 3-link design with an elegant deployment clasp to make putting on and taking off the watch extremely easy. I love the fact that this is the perfect mix of modern practicality with a vintage 1970’s aesthetic. Another great vintage-inspired timepiece in Rado’s collection is the HyperChrome timepiece.
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