Hands-on Rado Captain Cook
The picture shows the 2019 Rado Captain Cook automatic watch, but before we dive into the difference between this model and the acclaimed 2017 version, it is important to understand the origin of Captain Cook. Rado usually has nothing to do with diving watches, let alone vintage diving watches. But the new Captain Cook is undoubtedly a strong contender in the field of modern diving watches.
In the 1960s, watch companies tried to make everything for everyone a reality. Looking at the lineup of many Swiss mid-range watch companies during that period, you will find that many companies have at least tried a diver’s watch, because this is a diver with a stainless steel case, with a water resistance of more than 300m or a skin diver. Rado is no different. Although they usually made dress watches, from 1962 to 1968, the Rado watch produced Captain Cook, named after the 18th century explorer Captain James Cook. According to an article published in 2003, the watch is a diving watch with a Brevet (patent) case that can provide about 200m of water resistance.
Rado fake originally brought their historic 1960s Captain Cook back to the world in 2017, completed with a nearly 1:1 reproduction rate, with an artificial bronze sheen, but “hyperchrome” was added to the name. This watch retains its 37mm case size and even replicates the small feel at 12 o’clock, such as the red numbers on the date wheel and the rotating anchor in the logo.
This version caught the industry by surprise-the Swatch brand, known for its thin ceramic watches and peculiar technical case materials, and Captain Cook Hyperchrome developed in a completely different direction, and were loved by the community. It even landed in Jason Heaton’s ten best dive watches of that year. Naturally, Rado will use this model, and there have been many subsequent versions. One is based on an implementation method that emerged in the late production period, when buffer sleeves became popular.
Now they have made a completely modern watch, almost as if it might be designed from scratch in 2019. The newest member of the Captain Cook series is called “Auto”, and its width is 42 mm. It is available in five colors: green, navy blue, gray you see here, black, and in addition to the 2017 version, there are also retro-inspired versions other than 42mm. Reading the comment section in the original introduction article, it is clear that a bigger Captain Cook is needed. Then the 45mm version was released. Audiophiles want a model somewhere in between. Well, this is.
I think the most interesting color scheme is this grey model, which is a new look for the watch. The gray silent dial serves as the background of the toothpaste white mark, making it subtle and clear. There is visual continuity here, and neither the bezel nor the dial has any Hyperchrome finish-but a soft matte finish. Part of what makes 2017 so fascinating is the retro vibes and surprisingly general elements, and that is Rado. After several releases, the novelty inspired by this charm is unsustainable, and this iteration of the watch does show how to truly update the old design to something new. However, on the bottom cover, you will indeed find the original three-sea horse pattern. That is sacred and inviolable. Without it, you would not become Captain Cook. https://www.chrono4usale.co
The bezel and tone of the dial also hint at Rado’s proficiency in ceramic manufacturing. It feels more like Rado. The Hyperchrome name does not exist and there is no shiny surface on it. In this sense, it exudes a look very much like a tool watch. It has all the functions of a suitable diving watch, including the new Automatic-200m water resistance, a smooth and tightly moving ceramic bezel and a clear and easy-to-read dial. The short lugs can make Captain Cook wear smaller than a typical 42mm case, because it allows the case to fit tightly on the wrist without protruding the lugs. Sometimes, the size and proportion of certain cases cannot be scaled up or down. In some cases it only works under a certain diameter, while in other cases it does not work. After a lot of wear and tear, this 42mm case will definitely feel balanced and well-balanced. I wear it on the leather strap, but the lineup is also decorated with rice-style bracelet beads.
In the past few decades, Rado may not have won the influence of other brands in the diving watch category, but if this is one of the other manufacturers of the Swatch Group, the price of the watch may be higher. The C07.611 movement was used in previous versions of this watch, but it is still a good selling point, with 80 hours of usable power.
In 2017, a small number of manufacturers reintroduced traditional models, which almost copied the original design at a 1:1 ratio. Captain Cook is one of the more thoughtful and highly acclaimed cheap watches. Now, with the new Captain Cook automatic Rado list, it shows us how to inherit the traditional model and open it to a wide audience outside of the old-fashioned niche market. This time, its novelty lies not in its roots in the 1960s, but in its modernity.
Rado Automatic Captain Captain Cook: Case, 12.1mm x 42mm, screw-in crown, water resistance 20 bar / 200 meters; unidirectional ceramic bezel. Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. The self-winding movement C07.611 (basic ETA 2824-2) has a power reserve of 80 hours. Leather strap.