Rado (watchmaker)

Rado Watches Co. Ltd.
Publicly traded limited company
Industry Luxury goods, Watch manufacturer
Founded 1917 as Schlup Co.
Headquarters Lengnau, Switzerland
Key people
 Matthias Breschan (CEO)
Products Watches,
Number of employees
 470+ (worldwide)
Parent Swatch Group
Website www.rado.com
Rado Silver Star, circa 1980

Rado is a Swiss high range manufacturer of watches, with headquarters in Lengnau, Switzerland. It is noted for its use of scratch-proof materials, a field in which it is considered a pioneer. Today the company produces about half a million watches a year with a staff of about 470 in total. Rado's watches are obtainable in more than 150 countries, at over 5900 points of sale. The most important markets are Southeast Asia, Japan, China, India, Middle East as well as countries within Europe (Switzerland, Germany, Italy) and the USA.

Design

RADO's differs from the traditional Swiss watch makers in that it leans towards innovative uses of high tech materials in distinct design. RADO has focused on pioneering the use of a number of materials that are unique within the watch making industry, such as hardmetal(tungsten- and titanium carbide which they call high tech ceramics), ceramics, lanthanum and sapphire crystal.

In 2004 RADO created a 'high-tech diamond', by the transformation of carbon into a nanocrystalline diamond with a Vickers hardness number of 10,000, thus naming the watch the V10K. It is the hardest watch on Earth, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

During their time, RADO has received more than 20 elite international design awards, from the RED DOT Award to the iF Design Award, for both their product and most recently, their collaboration with Jasper Morrison for an innovative watch box that mimics the shape of the human wrist.

Pricing

RADO watches vary in pricing according to model, age and materials but the core collection of RADO pieces will range from about US$700 to about US$28,000. Models that include pave dials of diamonds and baguette diamonds can cost approximately US$30,000 to US$250,000.

External links

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