Rado (watch)
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Rado is a Swiss manufacturer of high-end 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 300 in total.
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[edit] History
Formed in 1917, Rado initially produced watch movements only. In 1957 the company launched its first collection of watches under the Rado brand. In 1962 the Rado Diastar Original, the world's first scratch-proof watch, was launched. It has been in production ever since. Rado is very peculiar in the watch industry, claiming high-end status despite not having as long a history as brands such as Omega. Rather the brand claims its elite position by virtue of its technological innovations since then.
In 1983 Rado became part of the SMH group which was renamed in 1998 as the Swatch Group.
[edit] Signature
Rado differs from some of the more traditional luxury Swiss watchmakers in that it uses unconventional precious materials to achieve a more futuristic look. Rado has pioneered the use of a number of these materials, e.g., high-tech diamonds, ceramics, lanthanum and sapphire crystal. However, many Rado watches are (at least, partially) made of more traditional materials such as gold and steel.
Other than the material, Rado watches also look very different from most of the other luxury makers. The company is much more adventurous in constructing the shape of its watches than would normally be expected of a high-end maker. Market reaction to this is generally mixed, with some preferring the look of the more traditional makers, and others appreciating the more distinct Rado look.
[edit] Ambassadors
Like many watch companies, Rado watches have high-profile personalities that advertise the brand in various ways. However, Rado differs from many other makers as its ambassadors are less recognisable to the general public than usual. Rado even uses this fact itself as an advertisement. According to its webiste: "To choose a brand ambassador is not an easy task - at least not when a brand is looking for much more than just a popular and beautiful face to represents its values."[1]
As of 2007, Rado's ambassadors are:
- Tommy Haas, German tennis player
- Jan, Mexican actor, singer and TV host
- Zhang JingChu, Chinese actress
- Renata Litvinova, Russian film director and actress
- Nobu Matsuhisa, American owner of high-end restaurant chain Nobu
- Rachel Tan, Malaysian model, Miss Malaysia Chinese International 2003
[edit] Pricing
Rado watches vary in pricing according to model, age and materials but generally a Rado watch's price when bought from an authorised retailer will range from about US$950 for a smaller piece to about US$8,000 for a watch made from the more precious materials. However, these prices are guidelines only and many dealers sell older or unpopular watches for less than USD800, while some of the more exclusive watches sell for much more than USD6,000.
[edit] Fakes
Like many luxury watchmakers, Rado suffers from a high level of forgeries on the market. Rado watches, due to their distinct style are often a major target and there are many counterfeit watches on sale, particularly on the internet. To combat this, the company has a small list of authorised retailers in the various countries it operates in and these companies are forbidden from selling Rado watches over the internet. The prices of these fakes are usually in the low hundreds of US dollars.
[edit] Trivia
- One of artist Andy Warhol's last projects was the painting of Rado watches. An example of one of these paintings
- Rado advertises itself as the inventor of scratch-proof watches
- Rado does not allow its authorised retailers to sell the watches over the internet
