| Type | Publicly traded limited company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Luxury goods, Watch manufacturer |
| Founded | 1917 as Schlup Co. |
| Headquarters | Lengnau, Switzerland |
| Key people | Matthias Breschan (CEO) |
| Products | Watches, |
| Employees | 470+ (worldwide) |
| Parent | Swatch Group |
| Website | www.rado.com |
Rado is a Swiss luxury manufacturer of 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 470 in total. Rado's watches are obtainable in more than 150 countries, at over 5900 ponts of sale. The most important markets are Southeast Asia, Japan, China, Middle East as well as countries within Europe (Switzerland, Germany, Italy) and the USA.
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Formed in 1917 as Schlup & Co., 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, the world's first scratch-proof watch, was launched. It has been in production ever since, now sold as DiaStar The Original.
In 1983 Rado became part of the SMH group which was renamed in 1998 as the Swatch Group. Rado's sister brands within the Group include Breguet, Blancpain, Glashütte Original, Omega, Longines and Tiffany & Co., among others.
RADO differs from the traditional Swiss watch makers in that it leans towards innovative uses of high tech materials in distinct design. RADO has focused on pioneering the use of a number of materials that are unique within the watch making industry, such as e.g. hardmetal(tungsten- and titanium-carbide), ceramics, lanthanum and sapphire crystal.
In 2004 RADO created a 'high-tech diamond', by the transformation of carbon into a nanocrystalline diamond with a Vickers hardness number of 10,000, thus naming the watch the V10K. It is the hardest watch on Earth, certified by the Guinness Book of World Records.
The newer RADO watches are also distinct from the traditional Swiss watch industry in that their aesthetic is unique. Market reaction tends to be mixed to such a strong aesthetic, with many who appreciate the unique and distinct RADO look and those who do not.
During their time, RADO has received more than 20 elite international design awards, from the RED DOT Award to the iF Design Award, for both their product and most recently, their collaboration with Jasper Morrison for an innovative watch box that mimics the shape of the human wrist.
RADO watches vary in pricing according to model, age and materials but the core collection of RADO pieces will range from about US$700 to about US$28,000. Models that include pave dials of diamonds and baguette diamonds can cost approximately US $30,000 to $250,000.