Originally established in 1917 in Lengnau, Switzerland, Schlup & Co. came into existence in objectively humble beginnings: a small space in the founders’ parents’ home. The two brothers behind the company were fortunate enough to make headway with, as Rado states, “a wide array of importers around the world”. The brothers would see sustained success, becoming known as a reputable source of watch movements; this is no small feat, especially being that they were located at the heart of the international horological space. It would not be until after World War II that the Schlup brothers would use the name Rado, which is where the story of the Anchor starts to take shape.
Rado saw the launch of the Green Horse model in the late 50s. This is where things begin to pick up for the brand, as their marketing was simple and straightforward: “If you imagine it, we can make it”. Continuing forward from the now-classic recipe for a dress watch, the Green Horse found a new “friend” in a watch that will forever be burned into my mind: the DiaStar. The 1962 Rado DiaStar was an amalgamation of the newly-created material, “Hardmetal” (a tungsten carbide alloy), and saw the first large-scale use of Sapphire Crystal on a watch. This was the first watch to be dubbed scratchproof. With a revelation such as this, it is quite unsurprising to see the brand is known today as the “Master of Materials”.
The DiaStar was not alone. 1962 brought another new design into the stable, seeking to attract those inspired by the likes of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau: the Captain Cook. At the time of this writing, the newest iteration of this model sits on my wrist: the R32154208. With this diver, Rado set their sights on a market consisting of “Doctors, engineers, athletes, deep sea divers, racing car drivers.” This is where Rado also found a now-essential component to the brand’s DNA: the Anchor. Beyond the futuristic-looking case of the DiaStar and the innovative material application that came with it, the pivoting Anchor (which was originally utilized as a mechanism to alert the owner to the need for service on the timepiece) sat proudly on the Captain Cook. The Anchor would come to be recognized as the brand logo, and per their own admission would be a more important symbol than the brand name itself in many markets. The Captain Cook saw a production period from 1962 to 1968, with the run totaling around 8,000 pieces. It was discontinued until 2017 where it was revived.
My connection to Rado comes through my father. In writing this article, I asked him how he came about the brand and he shared this with me:
“As a child in Korea, I noticed the town mayor wearing a unique watch, and when I asked about it, he shared that it was a Rado—a watch he valued above others like Zenith and Rolex. He appreciated its quality, precision, and understated design, which didn't flaunt wealth. He advised me to choose Rado over Rolex for these reasons. This advice stuck with me, and when I grew up, the first watch I bought was a Rado DiaStar, which remains the most treasured piece in my collection.”
His DiaStar is pictured below:
Personally, I grew up seeing two brands, both of which started with an “R”, on the wrist of my father. In my eyes, only one of them had a captivating logo. Objectively, I will say that I was always disappointed when I would see other Swiss watches that did not have a cool, moving logo. For me, an uninformed child, the Anchor meant something. I knew it was a good watch, and that was enough at the time. Today, I look on that memory and fully understand how important that the Anchor is to the brand.
As I sit and look at the Captain Cook, I already know that I will most likely come off sounding like I am writing a flowery, borderline poetic piece. That is because this brand is important to me as it sits high in my core memories–I won’t lie about that. But what I can say is that despite the fondness I have for the DiaStar and the brand, when it came time to for me to trade an enlistment in the Army for a commission as an officer, Rado never came to mind when it was time to pick a watch for my next chapter in my career. I had many phone calls with my dad, and in almost every conversation we would talk about watches. I am a compulsive researcher, and as a result I want to consider all things that I can before committing to a purchase.
He would tell me in each conversation to get a Rado. He would always point out how despite decades of wear, his DiaStar never showed signs of wear and tear. His thought was that for an infantry officer looking to get a durable field watch, the DiaStar was the obvious choice. For me, the watch was just too dressy and did not fit the criteria I looked for despite being made of incredibly durable materials. Rado remained on the “nice, but not for me” list for a few years. It wasn’t until I had a chance to chat with a rep from the brand: Mr. Michael Betancourt, Regional Sales Manager. Our conversations led to potential for collaboration, and potential came to fruition. Michael went above and beyond in getting me set up with the Captain Cook. He said it would be fitting for the type of work I find myself doing, and would work well as a tool. It was quite fun being able to look at a watch that–at the time–I could not buy online or get any information about the specific variant that I wore, beyond the basic information he provided me with, that is. It gave me some pretty fun secret squirrel vibes.
My approach to watches and other types of equipment is simple. It just needs to work, period. To me, that means it needs to be able to withstand use that most people in collector’s circles tend to eschew at least nowadays. For the majority of the brands with established track records of being used by “men of action”, there are a lot of people who recoil at the thought of showering with them on or taking a swim be it in an open body of water or a pool. Such a far-cry from yesteryear where older and frankly lesser-specced variants of the watches of today were worn by explorers and Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen in some of the most austere conditions. In addition to simply needing to “work”, it never hurts for the watch to be nice to look at. My immediate impression was that the Captain Cook was a killer in terms of good looks, and met all the criteria I had for a durable field watch. Time would be required to make a proper assessment of the specifics of this watch, but the basic recipe for a diver usually leads to some satisfaction over extended periods of use.
This current iteration of the Captain Cook ships very nicely. It ships on a bracelet with a nice presentation box, a blue leather pouch, and warranty card. There is also a blue leather strap with a very nice deployant clasp and a timeless blue-and-white NATO style strap. I am unsure if the retail version of the watch will ship double packed, but when mine arrived it came with an unboxing experience that is probably as close to a Patek as I will get being that the watch came double sealed. While I am a fan of bracelets, I will say that I am not a fan of the method that these links are secured. I can understand the pin-and-collar style bracelet on many watches, but when looking at a watch that is coming close to a $3k USD retail, I would hope to see screws. That being said, I can tell you that while I dislike the way the links are secured on this watch, I have not had to worry about screws potentially backing out like I have on my Pelagos in the past (blue loctite, guys–essential). Regardless of screws being used or pin-and-collar, there is always potential for a point of failure, and I will acquiesce that pin-and-collar is very secure.
The bracelet on the Captain Cook does feature quick release pins, which is nice when wanting to do quick swaps to other strap options. I have spent a limited amount of time wearing the watch on the Rado-provided leather, but it was a great experience. My wife liked how the watch looked on leather, and I don’t disagree. That said, given the nature of my job and the physicality behind it, if I am going to wear it on leather, I reach for a Whiskey 7 Rugged Strap as it features a laminate core to assist in durability and usability in wet or austere conditions and environments (if you turn your nose at the idea, I can assure you that if it didn’t fail our friend Pat of Whiskey 7 at the Army Combat Dive schoolhouse, it won’t fail you). The rugged finish of the strap pairs nicely in contrast to the high-class finishing of the Captain Cook, almost dressing it down like a good blazer.
The NATO is simple, no-frills, and the fabric is durable–far better than the softer “seatbelt” material seen in many other luxury offerings. To an uninformed buyer outside of the MIL/LE space, this may come as a negative, but in this space, we all understand that the brutish feel and construction of a simple ballistic nylon type strap will almost always outlast the “nicer” ones. It should go without saying that if a bracelet is not your thing, and if you don’t like the other straps provided, the 22mm lug width affords you ample options for replacement straps. You could also opt to throw on some shoulderless springbars and have the watch live its life on a NATO or ZULU if that is more your speed. Thanks to the subtle brighter colors of the watch as well as the unique gradient on the dial absolutely warrant the term “strap monster”; the sky's the limit with this iteration of the Captain Cook.
The watch features an automatic movement, the Rado R763, which as far as I am aware is based on the ETA 2824-2. Coming with an 80-hour power reserve, the watch features an exhibition caseback and sits at 42mm while being 12.3mm thick. Water resistance is 300m, which is a great standard to meet in my opinion. Everything about this watch fits with the luxury tool segment, but compared to other offerings in the space it definitely packs a bit more panache and as a result it is significantly more refined. White and yellow SuperLuminova are placed throughout the watch and the bezel is topped with a polished ceramic insert. The dial is much brighter and more playful than you would expect to see on a watch in this space, and the pops of color that come from the bright yellow and red are subtle enough that they don’t stick out in a bad way. It really is very well-executed.
A question worth asking is, “Why Rado?” There are plenty of other watches that meet the criteria for an infantryman’s use case, no? Yes. But thanks to marketing, watches that do meet the needs of a knuckle-dragger aren’t always immediately obvious. I can name any number of Swiss brands that are associated with both luxury and hard use, and you could likely rattle off a list as well. We have the mainstays: Rolex, Breitling, Omega, and Tudor. There are the more expensive outliers like Panerai as well as more affordable options like Squale that are associated with these other brands because of marketing materials featuring the likes of Special Operators and units that are the stuff of legend. What often goes overlooked, though, are legacy brands that once sought to appeal to “Doctors, engineers, athletes, deep sea divers, racing car drivers.” Rado once marketed to these individuals, and the Anchor successfully found a home amongst them. But does the brand’s vintage-inspired model stand up to the legacy associated with the 60s-era of adventure and exploration?
My initial thought was that I felt fairly confident that the Rado would perform well. I have said here and in other places that the recipe for a dive watch usually results in a foolproof tool watch. While this is largely true in my experience, there are many watches that I have purchased that were so poorly assembled and lacked virtually any refinement that they are what I would consider to be “dive watch shaped objects”. I've come to the conclusion the Captain Cook does indeed do justice to the legacy behind it. Over the last couple months, the Captain Cook has been on my wrist quite a bit. I never take off my watch, unless I am swapping to a different one. I wear it to the motorpool–in and around Strykers, I wear it to the gym to lift or run. I wore this watch to almost every single morning PT event including “kit and log” runs, and the watch has become well-acquainted with the sauna and cold plunges. I even wore it on the day that I managed to tear most of the ligaments in my left ankle during a PT event while commemorating D-Day with my Battalion. My rotation has been almost exclusively between the Rado and my Pelagos and in terms of looks, they could not be further apart on the spectrum of tool watches. I like that. From Italo Ferretti silk to Whiskey 7 laminate and cordura, they're both at home with virtually everything I wear after work and neither look out of place in uniform.
From the venerable DiaStar to the Captain Cook, I can state that the Anchor has done well to influence and inspire confidence in two generations of my bloodline, and judging by the interest my two sons show in this watch specifically, there seems to be a well-deserved expansion of Rado’s sphere of influence. That said, from an objective standpoint there are some criticisms that are, perhaps, just my personal preferences meeting the understood reality that there will never really be a watch that is truly perfect for me unless I have some opportunity for carte blanche custom work. The largest area for improvement in my eyes would be the bracelet. Again, at this retail pricepoint, it would be very welcome to see screws instead of pin-and-collar, but it does not detract from the fact that the bracelet does feel fine and is otherwise durable enough for regular, hard use. Similarly, it would be nice to see a crown with more aggressive knurling as well, but the watch works well as it currently sits. I do have some additional ideas that float around in my head regarding a custom project, a watch that is an homage to the infantryman, and they would all look striking on a Captain Cook.
After these last few months, I can firmly stand by the Captain Cook as a watch that rightfully deserves to rub shoulders with other accepted luxury tool watches in this space. In the case of Rado, a brand that was seared into my mind as a child, I attest that the Captain Cook does indeed meet the muster. Rado once called for “Doctors, engineers, athletes, deep sea divers, racing car drivers", we could perhaps say that today they also call for "Rangers, Sappers, Combat Divers, and Freefall Parachutists".
