The brand new Captain Cook Bronze Burgundy launched by Rado is a first for the brand. It is the first time Rado has released a watch using red ceramic. Surprising, right? What Rado usually does is use earth-tone colours but this time around it chose differently. Another difference that strikes the eye is the use of red and gold fabric NATO strap. The brand quite successfully combines class and sportiness in this retro themed dive watch.
The All-New Rado Captain Cook Bronze Burgundy
First Impression
The Captain Cook is an existing model in Rado’s watch catalogue. Therefore, this might come across as aminor upgrade on an already existing watch. This trend has been on the rise in 2020 and that is true for all major watch brands. Be it the strap, the case, or the dial colour, new launches have been made by adjusting a few details. However, the new 42 mm Rado Captian Cook Bronze Burgundy is a bit more than what meets the eye.
For starters, red or ‘burgundy’ is a very bold colour choice. Not many top tier watches in the Swiss Haute Horlogerie industry don this colour. Now add the decision to use a red Nato strap instead of, let’s say, a conventional brown leather strap. Oh, and don’t forget the more than impressive 300-meter water resistance.
Red Ceramic – Not As Easy As It Seems
Perhaps, the best way to explain this would be by sharing the story of the Rolex GMT-Master. When Rolex decided to transition from the aluminium bezel to a ceramic bezel, they initially discontinued the popular red and blue bi-colour reference because of how difficult it was to create red ceramic. It was a tedious task back then and it is a tedious task today. However, with the launch of the Captain Cook Bronze Burgundy, not only has Rado accomplished a tough task, it has delivered on its promise in style. Red ceramic is used in both the dial as well as the bezel.
A Modern Classic
The watch utilizes a rather modern material in the form of ceramic but at the same time it manages to retain the vintage charm that Rado is known for. A few examples would be the classic Captain Cook word mark, the retro themed bezel, and the red-colored date text. What acts as the final nail to the coffin, which in this case is the retro-inspired overall aesthetic, is the red dial.
Honest Opinion
The red Nato strap does a fantastic job at making the watch comfortably on the wrist. As with any other Nato strap, the double pass makes the watch seem a little thicker on the wrist but it is not. The case is definitely made of bronze but the composition is different. As with other watches in the new Rado captain Cook Bronze collection, the alloy consists of copper and aluminium (instead of tin). The aluminium prevents the corrosion and does not alloy a patina to set in.
The dial, as already mentioned above, is made of red ceramic. To be more precise, the material used by Rado here is high-tech ceramic’. The dial does have a few lacquer-like properties. The date display at 3 o’clock firs perfectly into the frame and so does the choice of red coloured numerals.
The watch is powered by Rado Caliber 763, an automatic movement with 25 jewels, running at 3 Hz, and offering a power reserve of up to 80 hours. The mechanism offers hours, minutes, seconds, and date functions.
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