Rado’s been on a real winning streak lately. The Grenchen, Switzerland-based watchmaker, famous for its use of ceramic in watches, has quietly become the 12th best-selling watch brand in the world
– eclipsing much more famous brands in the process.
This is in no small part thanks to the Captain Cook. Rado revived their stunning vintage dive watch after a 50-year hiatus back in 2017, a move that’s really paid off for the brand. Retro-looking, capable and incredibly good value, the Captain Cook has quickly become a favourite among modern watch fans.
Last year, Rado released the Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic: a real meeting of worlds which saw the iconic timepiece clad in Rado’s futuristic ‘plasma’ ceramic. Now, in 2022, Rado’s come out with another ceramic interpretation of the Rado Captain Cook, called the Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Diver.
Our verdict? If the High-Tech Ceramic was already the perfect watch for the great outdoors, the new Ceramic Diver is even better.
Rado fans will probably be asking, what’s the difference between the Ceramic Diver and the Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic model that came out last year? Well, the Ceramic Diver features a traditional opaque dial, stainless steel caseback and a date function, whereas the 2021 HTC has a smoked sapphire crystal dial and caseback with no date function.
RELATED: Rado’s Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Is The Perfect Watch For The Outdoors
Otherwise, the Ceramic Diver still boasts a 43mm case size, 80-hour power reserve and 300m of water-resistance – all good stuff for a dive watch.
While we are a big fan of the unique look the smoked sapphire dial and caseback give the 2021 HTC, a date function is a really important feature on a watch and makes the Ceramic Diver just that little bit more practical. It also makes it a little more legible – a crucial feature for a dive watch.
Additionally, where the 2021 HTC is entirely crafted from Rado’s smooth ‘plasma’ ceramic, the Ceramic Diver is crafted from matte ceramic (with bracelets featuring matte ceramic end links and plasma centre links, with the exception of the olive green model’s bracelet which is entirely matte).
The matte ceramic significantly changes the aesthetics and ergonomics of the watch, making it feel and look even tougher and stealthier, especially when it comes to the olive green, which is our favourite of the three new Ceramic Divers. On that note: the Ceramic Diver comes in four colours: black, olive green, and then two grey versions, one with a blue dial and one with a grey dial.
Additionally, the black and olive green variants of the Ceramic Diver are available with a colour-matched rubber strap with a Milanese bracelet-like texture. This rubber strap is easily one of the most comfortable and durable rubber straps in the business, and it makes picking between the nifty ceramic bracelets and the rubber a really tricky decision.
All in all, the Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Diver is a very compelling proposition. Capable, scratch-resistant (thanks to that ceramic construction) and very good looking, it’s one hell of a package. It’s clear to see why Rado’s so successful if they’re coming out with watches like this one.
Discover the whole Captain Cook range at Rado’s online boutique here.
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