A Winning Formula

Why Rado’s high-tech ceramic never ceases to amaze

- Brian Cheong

As the Master of Materials, Rado has built an enviable reputation as a proponent of high-tech ceramic watches that cater to various tastes and preferences. Few materials can compare with high-tech ceramic in terms of its benefits as a watch material.

It is virtually scratch-proof, ensuring that it retains its “newness” over time. It is extremely lightweight and hypoallergenic, promising remarkable comfort when it touches the skin. It is about four times harder than steel, making it incredibly durable. Plus, in the hands of Rado, it is visually appealing in different colours and finishes.

Rado has truly been a marvel at this ever since it produced its first high-tech ceramic watch, the Integral, in 1986. Recognising its potential, Rado stepped up its R&D in ceramic, producing one innovation after another in quick succession.

In 1993, it launched Sintra, crafted entirely of Ceramos, a groundbreaking material composed of ceramic and metallic components. In 1998, Rado discovered how to manipulate ceramic to produce the lustre of metal—even though plasma high-tech ceramic, as it is called, contains no metal.

It can currently produce more than 20 different colours for its high-tech ceramic, including nine vibrant shades from Le Corbusier’s Architectural Polychromy colour theory. Rado has promised that there will be more to come.

All the magic happens at Comadur, a company under the Swatch Group, which also owns Rado, located in the watchmaking town of Le Locle, Switzerland. Making ceramic components is only one of its specialties; the facility also manufactures sapphire components and synthetic rubies.