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Anybody else burned out on heritage-inspired diver re-issues? To not disparage the present development in watchmaking, but it surely’s awfully good to have one thing come throughout my desk that truly feels designed. Such is the breath of recent air that’s the Rado True Sq. in yellow ceramic, a 2021 Purple Dot Design winner dreamed up by London-based agency Tej Chauhan. Daring, vivid, and dripping with intelligent detailing, this charming new collab is each bit the antidote you’ll wish to attain for when all the pieces in your watch field begins wanting a bit too predictable.
Earlier than we get too deep within the weeds with the watch itself, it’s price sharing that Tej Chauhan is likely to be somebody of an outsider within the watch area, however his path to worldwide design acclaim began at Nokia, earlier than beginning his eponymous design agency whose shoppers embody Panasonic, Ikea, Samsung, British Airways, and lots of extra. A lot of his work — and the work of his agency — appears to take inspiration from mid-century popular culture and previous science fiction movies. That type of aesthetic already works extraordinarily properly with the classic TV-shaped dial and gently rounded case design of the True Sq., which presents itself as a super canvas for a designer like Chauhan.
I’m typically of the thoughts that ceramic as a case materials doesn’t lend itself notably properly to extra sober designs, because the impact will be too simply replicated by PVD or DLC coatings. However relating to one thing vivid and colourful, and maybe extra pop-art impressed — one thing just like the ceramic Orlinski from Hublot or this True Sq. — it actually involves life. Chauhan was additionally sensible to precise this reference on a leather-based strap slightly than a full ceramic bracelet – which breaks up the feel of the 38mm case (which wears fairly comparably to a 40mm Apple watch) and affords a tonal break from all the coloured ceramic whereas offering a softer, extra tactile and natural touchpoint for the wearer. It additionally dramatically reduces the worth level over the total ceramic bracelet choices.
Worth level apart, the true grasp stroke with this watch is the way it concurrently feels playful and nearly toy-like whereas nonetheless sustaining an impressively excessive diploma of element and high quality — avoiding the dreaded “plasticky” (and by affiliation “low-cost”) feeling inherent to many in any other case costly ceramic watches. I shouldn’t actually be stunned — Rado has a protracted historical past of ceramic mastery, from firing to ending, and when you’ve got even a passing curiosity in how a ceramic watch case is made, from soup to nuts, I’d extremely urge you to take a look at this deep dive.
Just like the aforementioned Orlinski, there are such a lot of fascinating angles by which to view the True Sq., and also you’ll possible enjoyment of looking for as lots of them as attainable. From the graceful and dry, matte-finished ceramic edges to the dial’s steeply curved edges and indices, then the sapphire crystal that appears as if it have been as soon as an entire sphere, now sliced in two, there may be merely a lot to absorb right here. Even the dial itself feels prefer it might need been impressed by staring right into a classic radar array from some whimsical area opera like Forbidden Planet, with its bright-color story, deep, concave edges and concentric circles. The fantastic thing about nice design — and by the identical token, the hallmark of an amazing designer — is that the top outcome doesn’t have to force-feed you its inspiration (*casts a stern look at Bell & Ross*) however as a substitute urges you to contemplate its attainable origin and thereby give you your individual narrative.
As with the remainder of Rado’s Captain Prepare dinner and True Sq. choices, this explicit reference is powered by an ETA C.07 Powermatic base caliber, a three-hand motion with a date aperture and 80 hours of energy that’s broadly utilized by a couple of different manufacturers within the Swatch Group, together with Hamilton, Mido, Tissot, and Certina. However the motion for the Chauhan version will get a fairly novel improve within the type of a totally customized date wheel utilizing a particular “ever-changing” typeface of Chauhan’s personal design. It’s fairly a deal with to flip by means of the date aperture and see one thing totally new every day. Why extra manufacturers don’t do extra fascinating date wheels, I’ll by no means perceive, and that is surely the very best I’ve ever seen for a watch utilizing an in any other case off-the-shelf caliber. It’s additionally the type of factor that proves, in a nutshell, that the designer’s watchful eye was current over the whole thing of the mission, and the top result’s one thing totally cohesive and plausible right down to the smallest stage. On the finish of the day, any nice collaboration lives and dies within the particulars, and it’s normally the collective of minute particulars that add as much as yield one thing way more impactful.
It’s the type of watch that feels loads just like the early days of streetwear and sneaker collabs when names like Benny Gold, Jeff Staple, and Keith Hufnagel (RIP) lent their magic contact to established legacy manufacturers. And what makes this one further particular is that it’s coming from Rado — possibly one of many final manufacturers I’d anticipate to provide one thing like this in all of Swiss watchmaking. Nonetheless, it’s the general execution of the design transient and the cohesion as a bit of wearable pop artwork that make this an absolute pleasure on the wrist.
So are there downsides to coloured ceramic? This explicit reference reads vivid yellow with refined tints of orange relying on the sunshine. It’s a dry, matte colour, which I imagine was a powerful selection, as overly polished ceramics have a tendency to return off wanting low-cost and run the chance of overpowering some components of the dial. Now, being a matte floor, no materials (even ceramic) is 100% proof against superficial marks, particularly lighter-colored ceramics, that are vulnerable to exhibiting scuffs. Sneakerheads know what I’m speaking about. And sneakerheads additionally know that maintaining a Magic Eraser useful will assist preserve this watch clear, as long as you don’t drop it on the ground or smoke it on a doorway.
The Rado True Sq. designed by Tej Chauhan (ref. R27074155) isn’t technically a restricted version, although it’s restricted in manufacturing, and has a retail worth of $1,800. You may be taught extra concerning the collaboration at rado.com.
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