====== Rado ======

{{wst>menue|Rado}}

{{wst>author|[[Foskett, Stephen|Stephen Foskett]] ([[https://grail-watch.com/|Grail Watch]])}}

**Rado** is a "high range" brand of the Swiss watch conglomerate [[Swatch Group]] alongside [[Longines]] and [[Union Glashütte]]. It was founded in [[1917]] as **Schlup & Co.** in [[Lengnau]], Switzerland, which began using the Rado brand in the 1950s. It was part of [[Sagiter]] and the [[General Watch Co.]]/[[ASUAG]] previously. Today Rado is known for high-tech materials like [[ceramic]] (descended from the [[Rado DiaStar|DiaStar]]) and the seahorse and anchor logos indicating waterproof and [[automatic]] watches, respectively.

===== History =====
**Schlup & Co.** was founded in [[Lengnau]] by brothers Fritz, Ernst, and Werner Schlup in [[1917]]. Founded in the home of their parents, the factory expanded over the next 25 years to become one of the largest watch movement makers in Switzerland.

Schlup began selling watches using the **Rado** brand around [[1953]], though it had been registered as early as [[1928]]. The name meant "wheel" in Esperanto and was only used in international markets, beginning in South America and Asia before reaching Switzerland in [[1963]].

Rado was initially known for [[waterproof]] [[automatic]] models. The [[Rado Golden Horse|Golden Horse]] name appeared in [[1957]], with the water-resistant [[Rado Green Horse|Green Horse]] brand added the following year. These featured seahorses on the back, two for a [[bayonet]] case back and three for a screw-down back. The brand expanded rapidly in the decade, with international sales in over 60 countries. The [[Rado Captain Cook|Captain Cook]] dive watch appeared in [[1968]] and remains in the line to this day.

Automatic Rado models featured a moving anchor logo on the dial, and this would become the symbol of the brand. Reminiscent of an automatic [[winding rotor]], the anchor pivoted at the center and typically was placed on a red circle meant to evoke a [[jewel]]. Today, all Rado automatic models feature the anchor symbol.

One of Rado's most important and lasting products appeared in [[1962]]. The [[Rado DiaStar 1|DiaStar 1]] was marketed as "the world's first scratchproof watch" thanks to a hardened steel case and a [[sapphire crystal]]. Over the next decades, Rado developed a gold-colored [[Rado DiaStar|DiaStar]] model ([[1972]]) and a novel case with an edge-to-edge sapphire crystal, the [[Rado Dia 67|Dia 67]] ([[1976]]). Rado also added an [[electronic]] movement for the DiaStar Electrosonic in [[1973]], a [[quartz]] analog model in [[1975]], and an [[LCD]] model in [[1976]].

The company's next innovation was the [[ceramic]] bracelet used on the [[1986]] [[Rado Integral|Integral]], followed by a ceramic case in the [[1990]] [[Rado Ceramica|Ceramica]]. Another high-tech material, [[Cermet]], appeared in [[1993]] in the [[Rado Sintra|Sintra]], and the Ceramica added plasma ceramic in [[1998]]. The next big advance was a diamond material with a hardness of 10,000 Vickers in the [[2002]] [[Rado V10K|V10K]]. In [[2011]], the [[Rado True Thinline|True Thinline]] was introduced, a 5 mm thin ceramic watch, and the similar [[Rado HyperChrome|HyperChrome]].

Other unusual modern models include the [[1988]] [[Rado Coupole|La Coupole]], an integrated capsule-shaped watch, the [[Rado eSenza|eSenza]], which lacks a crown, and the minimalist [[Rado r5.5|r5.5]]. Touch technology was added to the [[2013]] [[Rado Esenza Touch|Esenza Touch]], and the [[Rado HyperChrome Dual Timer|HyperChrome Dual Timer]] a year later used this to swap time zones.

===== Part of the Swatch Group =====
Schlup became part of the [[Neuchatel]]-based [[Sagiter|Société Horlogeère de Production et de Participation SA (Sagiter)]] in [[1966]] along with [[Camy]], [[Sandoz]], and [[Invicta]]. The success of the DiaStar helped the company through the consolidation of the 1970s, with Schlup joining the [[General Watch Co.]] under [[ASUAG]] in [[1971]]. By [[1974]], Rado was one of the top Swiss brands in terms of revenue.

In the 1970s and 1980s, ASUAG consolidated, selling most brands and merging with [[SSIH]] to become [[SMH]], the forerunner of today's [[Swatch Group]]. It is one of the few companies to remain part of the group continually this entire time.

===== Vintage models revive 1960s style =====
With vintage models that faithfully revive the 1960s style of earlier Rado models, the brand has also been bringing mechanical movements back into use since around 2020, for example in the Caption Cook series. These are also increasingly being used in the higher-priced models in the other series.

===== Models =====

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  * [[Rado Captain Cook]] - Traditional [[dive watch]] since [[1968]]
  * [[Rado Centrix]] - Modern styled watches
  * [[Rado Ceramica]] - [[Ceramic]] cased integrated watches since [[1990]]
  * [[Rado Coupole]] - [[Dress watch]] with slim lugs and bezel since [[1988]]
  * [[Rado DiaMaster]] - [[Dress watch]]
  * [[Rado DiaStar]] - Hardened cushion-shaped case since [[1962]]
  * [[Rado Golden Horse]] - [[Dive watch]] since [[1957]]
  * [[Rado HyperChrome]] - Traditional [[dress watch|dress]] and [[sports watch|sports]] watches since [[2012]]
  * [[Rado Integral]] - Rectangular integrated watches since [[1984]]
  * [[Rado True]] - Integrated watch (also [[Rado True Square|True Square]] and [[Rado True Thinline|True Thinline]])

===== Weblinks =====
  * [[https://www.rado.com/|Rado]]

{{tag>Watch_brands Watch_brands_Switzerland Lengnau ASUAG General_Watch_Co. Swatch_Group}}