SEOUL Mates

Rado presents Ji Chang-wook, welcoming him to its global family of brand ambassadors who continue to break new ground to reach the pinnacle of their craft

- TAN SIOK HOON

Back in March when Rado introduced South Korean actor and musical actor Ji Chang-wook as brand ambassador, it drew plenty of excitement and pride from K-pop and K-drama fans and enthusiasts. For those who know Rado well, the consensus was that the match was perfect, not just visually and aesthetically, but in many other commonalities of the special relationship between Rado and Ji. “I have always been interested in Swiss watches, especially in unique designs and special materials,” Ji affirms in a press release statement.

“The key element as Master of Materials, a unique brand with a unique product, we need to also select a unique person,” said CEO Adrian Bosshard when we chatted to him and Ji in an interview at the Rado event in Seoul we were invited to recently. “Of course, with Ji Chang-wook, we have selected a unique person in terms of professionalism, appeal, determination and attitude to work. Therefore, we are sharing the same values and working very well together. We are very happy to start this collaboration and I believe we have the base for the long term.”

Rado, whose moniker Master of Materials underscores its repute as a pioneer and game-changer, was founded in 1917 by brothers Fritz, Ernst and Werner Schlup. Deciding to be watchmakers, they set up a humble atelier in a converted part of their family home in the village of Lengnau, Switzerland. Over the decades, their endeavour grew from strength to strength, and in 1957, they rebranded their enterprise Rado (meaning “wheel” in Esperanto).