Rado Captain Cook Automatic dial with blue gradient

Following the reissue of Rado’s classic Captain Cook in 2017 (first introduced in 1962), the diver’s portfolio has expanded significantly with models such as the Bronze Collection and Two-Tone Automatics. This latest iteration celebrates summer with a nod to tennis, offering three different straps to change up the mood whenever you feel like it. It’s not the first model to nod to tennis, with the Cameron Norrie Limited Edition really taking to the court, but this model has a fresh gradient dial and all the core elements that make a Captain Cook.

The stainless steel case is a contemporary size of 42mm in diameter and 12.3mm in height compared to the 37mm case of the 1962 model. Rado did release a faithful 37mm limited edition in 2019, but this one definitely belongs in 2024. The case is polished, as are the crown and bezel, and the latter has a polished blue bezel insert made of high-tech ceramic with a simply engraved diving scale with white Super-LumiNova. A retro-style box-shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides protects the dial, and there is a sapphire crystal display case back. Water resistance is stated to be a very comfortable 300 meters. The three straps included are a brushed and polished steel bracelet with a titanium triple folding clasp, a blue leather strap with an extendable folding clasp and a blue and white NATO textile strap.

The dial has a beautiful gradient from white to blue and an outer blue rim with a yellow minute/seconds indicator. The moving Rado anchor logo is on a purple background below 12 o’clock, while the tip of the seconds hand has yellow Super-LumiNova as a nod to tennis balls. The applied indices and hour/minute hands have white Super-LumiNova, with the hour hand bearing Captain Cook’s arrowhead. At 3 o’clock there is a white date window with purple print to match the background of the anchor logo.

The latest Captain Cook is powered by the Rado R763 automatic, based on the ETA C07.611. It has 25 jewels, beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz) and has a power reserve of 80 hours. Functions include central hours, minutes, stop seconds and date.

The new Rado Captain Cook costs 2,950 euros, CHF 2,550 or $2,700 and comes in a blue leather pouch with the three strap options mentioned above. For more information and to order, visit the Rado website.