The tale of the Rado Captain Cook goes way back to the 1960s. The First Captain Cook was created in 1962, to be precise. It was a really good divers watch that was counted among the greats of that era. In 2017, Rado re-launched this watch under the HyperChrome collection as the HyperChrome Captain Cook. The timepiece was elegant, classy, and of course, highly functional. Now, in 2020, we have ourselves the Captain Cook Bronze Automatic.
The All-New Rado Captain Cook Bronze Automatic
First Impression
Come to think of it, a bronze case makes perfect sense. The watch had already impressed people all around the world with its fine steel case and there are only so many things that can be upgraded in the watch. It a classic dive watch so high-end complications are out of the picture as well.
Along with the CuAl bronze case, Rado has also used a ceramic bezel in this watch. Now, many might already know that Rado has had a history of mastering the art of making things out of ceramics. It is a little poetic. The alloy that brought an end to the stone age, bronze, and a material that’s paving the way forward, ceramic, together in one watch. Ceramics have also played a major role in space exploration. For those do not know, it was the use of ceramic tiles that allowed space shuttles to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere safe and sound.
The new line of Rado Captain Cook Bronze watches has three colours – bright green, deep blue, and grey. The watches not only look fun, they are also carriers of the modern-day horological ideology which is to less of a purist. Let’s admit it, being a purist limits a lot of options and it eventually gets dull. Rado is trying new things. The new Captain Cook timepieces are closer to the fashion watch segment than any of its predecessors. It lacks the vintage Rado charm that can be seen in many of the watches in the brand’s catalogue.
Honest Opinion
The new Rado Captain Cook Bronze Automatic is a comination of many cool features. For instance, the case back of the bronze watches is not 316L stainless steel, the material that is usually used by Swiss brands to make watches. 316L is also the material used to make the earlier iterations of the Captain Cook. Coming back to the topic, the new Captain Cook references have titanium as case backs.
Secondly, the anchor logo at the 12 o’clock marker swivels. I deeply apologize for ruining the surprise but this had to be told. The anchor changes position as you move the watch.
Lastly, the bronze used to make the cases is actually a combination of copper and aluminium. This makes for an bronze, an alloy, that does not get a patina. This combination, as apposed to the standard version of bronze (copper and tin), is more corrosion resistant as a coat of aluminium oxide seals the deal, quite literally.
Naturally, many will be disappointed as there would be no chances of the watch gaining a patina over time. At the same time, many would be happy too.
In conclusion, it would be safe to say that the Rado Captain Cook Bronze is a great combination of a tool watch as well as a style statement.
Getting Into the Details
The all-new Rado Captain Cook Bronze is a 42 mm wide timepiece that has a body made of CuAL, a bronze that does not get the patina that is usually associated with bronze. The bezel on top is made from ceramic and is available in three different colours blue, green, and grey. If you shift your attention towards the dial, you can see a sunburst pattern that matches the bezel of the watch. From a functional standpoint, the watch offers a 300-meter water resistance, which is quite impressive.
On the movement side, the timepieces are fitted with an ETA C07. The mechanism offers a robust 80 hours of power reserve and just top notch performance from every angle.
The 42 mm wide case sits nicely on the wrist the lugs are short so even people with smaller wrists can get away with a 42 mm wide case. the leather strap adds to the flair of the Captain Cook. Now it might seem a little weird for such a famed dive watch to come with a leather strap but it is what it is. It’s 2020 and tool watches are embracing the luxurious side.
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