The Luxury Watch Blog

Formed in 1917, Rado initially produced watch movements only. In 1957 the company launched its first collection of watches under the Rado brand. In 1962 the Rado Diastar Original, the world’s first scratch-proof watch, was launched. It has been in production ever since.

In 1983 Rado became part of the SMH group which was renamed in 1998 as the Swatch Group.

Signature

Rado differs from some of the more traditional Swiss watchmakers in that it uses unconventional precious materials to achieve a more futuristic look. Rado has pioneered the use of a number of these materials, e.g., high-tech diamonds, ceramics, lanthanum and sapphire crystal. Many of Rado’s products include the use of steel & gold in harmony with high tech materials to allow for affordability to end consumers while enjoying the scratch resistant material.

Other than the material, Rado watches also look very different from most other makers. The company is more adventurous in constructing the shape of its watches than their competition. Market reaction to this is generally mixed, with some preferring the look of the more traditional makers, and others appreciating the more distinct Rado look.

Ambassadors

Like many watch companies, Rado watches have high-profile personalities that advertise the brand in various ways. However, Rado differs from many other makers as its ambassadors are less recognisable to the general public than usual. Rado even uses this fact itself as an advertisement. According to its website: “To choose a brand ambassador is not an easy task - at least not when a brand is looking for much more than just a popular and beautiful face to represents its values.”

As of 2007, Rado’s ambassadors are:

* Tommy Haas, German tennis player

* Jan, Mexican actor, singer and TV host

* Zhang JingChu, Chinese actress

* Renata Litvinova, Russian film director and actress

* Nobu Matsuhisa, American owner of high-end restaurant chain Nobu

* Shahid Afridi, Pakistani Cricketer

* Lisa Ray, Indian actress and model

* Rachel Tan, Malaysian model, Miss Malaysia Chinese International 2003

Pricing

Rado watches vary in pricing according to model, age and materials but generally a Rado will range from about US$400 for a lower tier model to about US$3,000 for a watch made from the more precious materials.

Trivia

* One of artist Andy Warhol’s last projects was the painting of Rado watches. An example of one of these paintings

* Rado advertises itself as the inventor of scratch-proof watches

* Nepal’s communist leader Prachanda has an affliction for Rado Watches. This is actually taken in Nepal as a welcome sign of normalization. In this case as power corrupted and bought backs to normality a politician, who led Nepal to its bloodiest war ever.

The Cariter Ballon Bleau comes as the Grand Modele at 42mm, the Medium Modele at 36mm and the Petit Modele at 28mm. It has a very interesting attribute! The crown is protected so you cannot damage it by pulling it too far!

(more…)

The Constellation family welcomes the sparkling presence of two new jewelery versions of the Double Eagle Co-Axial Chronograph. These 18kt red gold and diamond chronographs are a stunning interpretation of the watch which Omega has chosen to be associated with the noble sport of golf. Brought to life with the sparkle of diamonds and the warmth of a rich chocolate brown dial, these jewelery editions of this sporting favorite and design classic bring glamor, style and mechanical excellence to the green.

(more…)

Last year the movie “Blood Diamond” came out! It described the plight of family caught amid a civil war in country with a high amount of diamonds mines.

The watch he is wearing is a Breitling Chrono Avenger

It seems that the movies Movado Watches aren’t used much!

MD: Stefano, can you describe your role at Girard-Perregaux and tell us what areas you oversee?

SM: That is the one billion-dollar question! (laughing) I have three main roles inside Girard-Perregaux. First, I’m involved in product design. Second, I am responsible for the global Girard-Perregaux corporate image including our retail concept. And third, I am in charge of the BMW-Oracle Racing partnership. From the relationship with the Challenge to the design of limited editions dedicated to our America’s Cup partnership. In general, I’m working on keeping the brand image and the design consistent in different fields. We have a clear vision of what makes Girard-Perregaux and pay close attention to our brand’s integrity.

(more…)

The Golden Tourbillon Panoramique from Corum is a limited edition of 66 pieces in gold (white and rose) and 5 pieces in platinum.

(more…)

Largely perceived as a women’s brand in recent past, Ebel is taking a stab at the men’s mechanical watch market under the leadership of its new brand president Thomas van der Kallen.

As we greet the return of an estranged friend – with open arms and a pinch of doubt, followed by delight as we discover each defining characteristic intact – so we applaud Ebel’s return to the men’s mechanical watch arena. Under LVMH ownership between 1999 and 2003, the brand was slung towards the fashion end of the watch business, and in that time, it had come to be known largely as a maker of women’s watches, in particular steel watches with diamonds. Not a bad thing, if it hadn’t lost a fair chunk of its heritage in men’s watches in the process. That is about to change, we expect. Now owned by US-based Movado Group and led by its new brand president Thomas van der Kallen, Ebel is shifting gears, aligning its focus, staging a comeback in men’s mechanical watches. The chosen champion in this quest is the 1911 BTR collection of men-only watches, boasting proprietary mechanical movements, useful complications (GMT, perpetual calendar, chronograph) and most important of all, signature style of original 1911, in edgier dress for today’s market. Thomas van der Kallen speaks to REVOLUTION about the new Ebel, and how the watchmaker plans to reclaim its place in the male psyche, borne on the legitimacy and iconic design of the re-born 1911.

(more…)

There is no denying that Rolex has a certain mystique that goes with its name, and until you own one it is hard to comprehend what it is. So I took the plunge, after reading tons of reviews and literature like this one that I am writing now, on most of the Rolex Professional Collection, such as the Submariner Date, the Explorer 2, the GMT Master 2, the Yacht Master 1and of course, the Sea-dweller. I finally settled for the legendary Sea-dweller (Oyster Perpetual Date, reference 16600, recommended retail price USD$5,350 at the time of this article, August 2007). I took into consideration factors such as the respect this watch commands among the dive watch fraternity, its incredible technical specifications and capability, the classic timeless cosmetic appeal, and also, the rich illustrious history behind it. It sure took me some time to come to this decision, but I have not regretted a single bit. I cannot begin to describe just how excited I felt when I first saw my Z-series Sea-dweller. There it was, sitting in the new design, large and heavy Rolex box. To side-track a little, in my opinion, this new design box that was introduced somewhere in the early 2005 is a huge improvement over the scrawny looking old wooden box that Rolex had been using for the past 20 to 30 years. I feel any Rolex watch sits much safer and look more secured in this huge solid box with a nice soft padded cream interior, compared to the old one. I am not sure what material it is made of, but it feels too heavy to be wood. Could be hardened plastic, I guess.

(more…)

The Bertolucci brand was founded in Neuchâtel in 1907 by Remo Bertolucci. Born near Pisa he was a qualified engineer in micro-mechanics and as fate would have it, he fell in love with a young Swiss girl who was holidaying with her parents on the Italian Riviera. At her behest, Remo followed her back to Switzerland in 1965.
Remo joined the family business, an important workshop for the assembly of mechanical watches, and became passionate about the profession to the point where he decided, some years later, to form his own company. With an in-depth knowledge of watchmaking and the industry, Remo founded Bertolucci SA and developed his first collection of watches based upon inspirations from his Mediterranean childhood … the pebbles one finds at the seashore.
From there, the everyday influences of the Renaissance and art of Remo Bertolucci’s Tuscany Riviera came into play and his watch creations juxtaposed refinement and sensuality, the movement of the sea with the voluptuous form of Italian woman, sound with smell; in short the fusion of the infinity of the Italian lifestyle with the undisputed expertise of Swiss watchmaking.

(more…)

There’s a simple yet invariable rule for retail products: Whenever a well-designed creation comes on the market, it will be followed by a horribly overdone version from a competitor who doesn’t know when to stop. (Or sometimes from the same manufacturer as the original.)

Case in point: While we certainly don’t approve of gilding as a rule, the recently featured 18k Shuffle actually caught our fancy. Then today, we almost reflexively poked an eye out upon viewing an unfortunate little guy that not only was made of gold but also “caked with loads of glittery diamonds,” according to New launches, complete with matching ear buds.

The kicker is the price: $20,000. It’s almost enough to give Swarovski a good name.

We are still waiting to here if Movado is making anything like this!