Rado is a brand known primarily for its innovation in materials, so it should come as no surprise that in looking to update the 1962 Captain Cook, they decided to fashion a new case out of sandblasted, grade 5 titanium, a material known for its scratch-resistance and lightness. Water resistance here is 22 bar (220 meters), which is plenty for recreational Scuba diving.
Featuring a lug-less case design and convex inner rotating bezel, the new Tradition Captain Cook MKIII Automatic packs a large feature set into a 46.8mm XXL case, including the ETA C07.621, 25-jewel automatic movement with day-date functionality, screw-down case back and crowns and rhodium-colored hands coated in Super-LumiNova. A box-shaped sapphire crystal and extra-large case bring the Captain Cook into the modern age, and the dial is black with a sunray effect, applied indices and Super-LumiNova. A black textile strap with grey stitching and stainless steel extendable folding clasp round out the look.
At such a large diameter, it’s may be that the MKIII has gone too far in the “modern” direction, especially in an industry that seems finally to be pulling back from making enormous watches. However, it may well be that there’s still a segment of the watch-buying public that appreciates a watch on the larger end of the spectrum, especially if the case is crafted of super-lightweight titanium.
The Tradition Captain Cook MKIII Automatic will cost $2,550 and be available exclusively at Macy’s in the US market beginning in October.
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