The New 39mm PVD-Gold Edition of the Rado Captain Cook Over-Pole

The cool Rado Captain Cook Over-Pole is back! Dating back to models from the 1960s, this evocative name was used for several Rado models, in particular, travel watches with a world time bezel – while the Captain Cook name immediately refers to the brand’s vintage-inspired dive watches. The Over-Pole came back in 2022 as a steel limited edition and part of the Captain Cook collection. For 2025, we get a yellow gold PVD-coated version. Slightly larger but with the same classic adventure charm, it continues to evoke the romance of vintage travel.

A relatively loyal reinterpretation of classic Over-Pole world timers, this new limited edition differs from the 2022 series by its yellow gold colour, which further imbues the design with a retro feel but with enlarged dimensions. Still, its polished gold PVD-coated stainless steel case remains relatively compact at 39mm in diameter (versus 37mm for the previous re-edition), with a reasonable thickness of 10.9mm. The domed sapphire crystal features antireflective coating on both sides. The bi-directional rotating world time bezel is fitted with a scratch-proof ceramic insert, onto which city names have been laser-engraved. Thanks to its ridged edge, it is easy to operate. The water-resistance is still rated at 100m. Flipping the watch over, the exhibition caseback is fitted with a sapphire crystal revealing the movement and the engraved individual limited-edition number.

The Worldtime Bezel

Some of the world’s major cities are displayed on the bi-directional rotating bezel. To determine the time for the different cities, rotate the bezel so that your current reference city (local time) faces your current local time, in 24-hour format, using the scale at the periphery of the dial. The approximate time for any time zone can then be read thanks to the 24-hour indication corresponding to its position on the bezel.

If the 2022 edition had a gradient dial, the 2025 Captain Cook Over-Pole is fitted with a more classic silver sunray dial. Its domed profile creates a compelling sense of depth. The Rado moving anchor is finished in a gold colour against a ruby background. The dots and dauphine-style hands feature vintage white Super-LumiNova with light green luminescence for enhanced legibility in all conditions.

The watch is powered by the Rado calibre R862, a hand-wound version of Swatch Group’s reliable and precise Powermatic 80, itself an evolution of the ETA 2824. This manual movement allows Rado to keep a relatively thin and elegant case profile just below 11mm while delivering a robust 80-hour power reserve. Its paramagnetic Nivachron balance beats at 3Hz. The decoration is simple and traditional, with Geneva stripes, blued screws and gold-coloured markings.

Availability & Price

This new Rado Captain Cook Over-Pole Gold PVD (reference R32193018) is released in a limited edition of 1,962 pieces, a reference to the year the Captain Cook model was launched. It comes on a brown, vintage, grained leather strap with off-white side-stitching and a yellow gold-coloured pin buckle. The watch is delivered in a leather pouch with an additional yellow gold PVD-coated beads-of-rice bracelet closed by a folding clasp. Both straps are fitted with quick-release spring bars that allow you to swap them in seconds. The price is set at CHF 2,700.

For more details, please visit Rado.com.