Rado Captain Cook Bronze: The devil is in the details

Almost every luxury watch brand worth its salt has at some point produced a diving watch, and has at some far more recent point presented an updated edition of said watch. In the case of Rado it is the Captain Cook. The switch to bronze as a case material is a great idea, and when it’s done by Rado – the self-proclaimed “Master of Materials” – something exciting is sure to come out of it, as illustrated by the newly introduced Captain Cook Bronze.

Vintage with character

The three references now presented by Rado come in natural shades that effectively complement the bronze: the R32504315 comes in rich forest green, the R32504205 a deep blue, and R32504315 offers an earthy, slightly grayish brown. In contrast to many classics, the case has a shape and a dial design which easily identify it as a child of the 60s, (the original Captain Cook came on the market in 1962). However, as befits a modern watch, Rado uses anti-reflective sapphire glass and a bezel made from the ceramic that the Master of Materials has already so successfully employed, ensuring that the Captain Cook Bronze can easily master the demands of modern life. The long power reserve of 80 hours also allows the watch to be put away for a few days without having to be reset, and at 42 mm in diameter and just under 12 mm thick, the Captain can lie discretely under a shirt sleeve, despite its striking appearance, ready at any moment to reveal its own casual individuality.

In line with these modern design elements, Rado has decided against the typical properties of bronze, even though they have proven so popular in vintage editions. Instead of the usual copper-tin alloys, the Masters have instead opted to house their Captain Cook Bronze in a copper-aluminum alloy. Over the years, copper-tin alloys set into a green patina so valued by many, which some overly enthusiastic collectors even try to accelerate with home remedies. Not so the aluminum alloy; it too oxidizes, but instead of producing a patina the oxidation seals the surface, so that the Captain Cook Bronze should look almost like new for years to come.

All three varieties come on matching leather straps with a clasp made of the same bronze, and all three offer a RRP of € 2,620, which is not a surprising price given the materials used.

Technical specifications:

Movement: ETA C07, automatic, date, 80 hour power reserve

Case: CuAl bronze, anti-reflective sapphire crystal, titanium base, screw-down crown, water resistant to 30 bar, leather strap with bronze pin buckle

Diameter 42 mm, thickness 12.5 mm

Dial: forest green, blue, gray-brown, Super-LumiNova luminescent material on hands and hour markers

Prices:

R32504315 in forest green: 2.620 €

R32504205 in blue: 2.620 €

R32504315 in grey-brown: 2.620 €