On The Wrist
TEXT AND IMAGES BY KEN NICHOLS
WEARING THE
RADO
HYPERCHROME
CAPTAIN COOK
HE BIG, TITANIUM HYPERCHROME CAPTAIN COOK IS RADO’S RECENT INTERPRETATION OF A DIVE WATCH
WITH THE BLING AND BRAWN FOR AN UNDERWATER FASHIONISTA. IF THIS CAPTAIN WERE A LIVING,
BREATHING SAILOR, HE’D BE A BURLY, BROAD-SHOULDER GUY STANDING ON A TITANIUM PEG-LEG
GRINNING WITH A POLISHED, SILVER TOOTH.
T
RADO GOT SOME ATTENTION A FEW YEARS ago when it reimagined
the Captain Cook after its original model from the 1960s. Rado timed the
vintage-like release perfectly, and it was the 37mm little brother that took
the spotlight. This watch’s namesake was the British Captain Cook, who
explored the Pacific in the 1700s.
DESIGN AND FINISH
Rado often goes unnoticed among Swatch Group’s other brands, but this
watch refuses to get lost and is unapologetically bold. The HyperChrome
Captain Cook comes in two distinct sizes. I got my hands on this large-and-
in-charge 45mm model and was surprised by its slight weight of 147 grams
on the metal bracelet.
The chunk of metal feels like a tool or a weapon on my wrist, but with the
refined edges and smoothness of a surgical instrument. The massive lugs
are brushed with a finely integrated bracelet with alternating polish. The
case is predominately a titanium alloy, which highlights Rado’s niche-work
with alloys and ceramic composite materials.
Titanium is found in more and more watches – and for good reasons. It
94 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | SPRING 2020
represents a lightweight alternative to heavier stainless steel. The downside
of the metal is that it tends to be easily scratched.
The lugs on this case jut out like the bow of a ship and remind me of
design elements in vintage Omega Flightmasters or Seiko Bullheads.
The bezel is a black, high-tech ceramic insert engraved and enclosed in a
carbon-diffused steel unidirectional ring. The ring slopes toward the curved
sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides. The bezel and
crystal create a bowl shape that highlights the bezel’s triangle at 12 and
the Arabic numerals at 15, 30 and 45-minute marks. The 120-click ratch-
eting bezel is polished on its coin edge and mirrors the polished links on the
center of the bracelet.
I am a guy who loves steel bracelets but have never liked mixed-metal
finishes. It might offer versatility in matching your attire, but I think the
mixed titanium and polished steel draws more attention to the bracelet and
less to the case even though the case stands nearly 14mm high.
The bezel functions with some firmness, so there’s no casual bump or
slight push with a finger to move it off its mark. You have to really grab it to
turn and the coin-edge provides the traction. Once it’s set, however, there’s