The Dashing Black & Golden Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton

Named after the famous British explorer, Rado’s 1962 Captain Cook was the brand’s first dive watch with an impressive depth rating of 220 metres. Produced in very low numbers, the Captain Cook drifted off the map in 1968. With its consolidated reputation for high-tech streamlined ceramic watches, Rado took a surprising tack in 2017 by reintroducing the Captain Cook. Having docked in many ports since then, the latest Captain Cook sails in with a hyper-contemporary matte black high-tech ceramic hull, an openworked deck and rose gold accents.

The first vintage re-edition of the Captain Cook came in a 37mm steel case and featured the unusual concave sloping bezel of its ancestor. Fitted with a box-shaped sapphire crystal to evoke the domed acrylic ones of the earliest Captain Cooks, it also featured the distinctive swinging anchor at noon. However, the magnifying lens over the date window was not featured, and the depth rating was reduced by half to 100m.

The temptation to dip into its catalogue of innovative materials was irresistible, and in 2020, Rado went for an all-time maritime favourite and cased Captain Cook in larger 42mm bronze cases coupled with colourful high-tech ceramic bezels. Then, in 2021, Rado awarded the Captain Cook a modern hull using its signature high-tech plasma ceramic, an even larger 43mm case and matching bracelet, an increased depth rating of 300m, and a contemporary openworked dial. If you are in the market for a more conventional dive watch, it’s worth mentioning that the openworked models co-exist with Rado’s smaller 42mm closed dial models in steel or two-tone cases.

Similar in build, looks, and movement to this grey and golden ceramic model, the new Captain Cook measures 43mm across with a case thickness of 14.6mm and a 300m depth rating. This is by no means a small case, but the watch’s generous proportions are compensated by the lightweight matte black high-tech ceramic used for the monobloc case, the insert on the rotating 60-minute bezel and the bracelet.

Using a winning JPS black and gold combo, the matte black elements of the case are paired with luxurious rose-gold toned details. For example, the notches on the stainless steel bezel are PVD coated in a rose gold colour, and the markings on the grained laser-etched bezel are lacquered in a similar golden tone. The steel screw-down crown is also coated in a golden PVD colour.

Protected by a black-tinted box-shaped sapphire crystal, the first layer of the dial is occupied by a black sloping ring with rose gold-toned minute markers and applied hour markers with golden frames and black Super-LumiNova. Unusual for a dive watch, the large arrow that is normally found on the minutes hand is placed on the hour hand. The central hands are also golden with black SLN that emits a blue glow in the dark, but the thinner seconds hand can get a bit lost in the scenery.

Several components of the calibre R808 can be espied through the tinted sapphire crystal, including the golden wheel bridge and the large barrel delivering the 80-hour power reserve. At noon is the signature moving anchor set against a purple background. Calibre R808, based on Swatch Group’s Powermatic 80, has an anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring, beats at 3Hz and is wound by a customised anchor-shaped rotor decorated with Geneva stripes.

As mentioned, the three-row bracelet is also crafted in matte black ceramic with a triple-folding titanium clasp. Joining the regular collection, the Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton has a retail price of EUR 4,900.

More information at rado.com.