SpotlightAn Evolutionary Icon: Introducing The Rado DiaStar Original Skeleton
Rado’s iconic DiaStar model has a new iteration—a brilliant, open-worked timekeeper with grey tones, powered by the brand’s automatic skeleton movement, with an impressive power reserve of 80 hours
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One of the leaders when it comes to innovation with new materials, Rado have been pioneering this space with the use of high-tech ceramic or creating patented alloys that give their watches an edge over the others. One such watch that stands out for its brilliance is the DiaStar model, created in 1962—at a time when sports watches were the order of the day and all the big players had launched their respective offerings to woo potential customers. So, it was important for any brand to come up with a disruptive design, and Rado achieved that with the DiaStar—originally created using ‘hard metal’ that made it the world’s first truly scratch-proof watch; one that could outlast, outshine, and outlive practically every other fine timepiece on the market. Prior to this, most watches used cases made of gold or plated brass, combined with a fragile glass of mineral or polymer origin, which was easily prone to damage.
The DiaStar stood out for its unique case construction that lent it a very distinctive shape; and while the watch has evolved over the years, the original design has not really undergone any transformation. The innovation has mostly been implemented through new materials, for e.g. last year, as Rado celebrated the 60th anniversary of the DiaStar model, the brand switched the case material from hard metal to Ceramos—a patented material with the durability of ceramic, and the lustre and resistance of metal. With approximately 90 percent titanium carbide content, this material is significantly lighter than hard metal and doesn’t compromise on the scratch-resistant qualities. The brand have recently introduced a new version of this icon—the DiaStar Original Skeleton watch—an impressive open-worked timekeeper that looks quite stately on the wrist. Let’s take a closer look.
The Art Of Skeletonisation
The new Rado DiaStar Original Skeleton comes in a polished stainless-steel case topped by a Ceramos bezel, which imparts a delicate contrast of shades, further enhanced by the various components of the movement, arranged meticulously as they shine through the skeletonised dial. While the new model echoes the overall character of its predecessors, the current shape is far more refined with contours that embrace the wrist with absolute comfort. The dial is further enhanced by bicolour components such as the hands and indices, which add to the open nature of the design, and the hour and minute hands are treated with white Super-LumiNova, for greater readability even in low-light conditions.
It is driven by the impressive R808 automatic calibre, which can power through for at least 80 hours, and boasts an anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring, which ensures utmost precision as the movement has also been fully tested in five positions. Here, the components are coated in anthracite-grey hue, which make for a visual spectacle as one observes the inner workings of this mechanism in all its glory, through the watch face and the caseback as well. Water-resistant to 100m, the DiaStar Original Skeleton is presented on a comfortable triple-row bracelet in polished stainless steel, with an H-link design and is secured by a triple-fold stainless-steel buckle.
