True Square Open Heart Limited Edition
A BICOLOUR “CHECKMATE” IN BLACK AND WHITE
Over the years, Rado has dazzled watch aficionados around the world with its high-tech ceramic watches. The brand regularly adds to its already broad palette with new shades in its signature material. But it all started with two classic colours, black and white. Now it’s time to welcome something completely different: the Rado True Square Limited Edition in two provocative bicolour interpretations, for the first time ever, in black and white. With the full high-tech ceramic construction, the distinctive square shape, the Open Heart design, and diamond hour markers (yes, there are white AND black diamonds), these timepieces will never be mistaken for any other and they were designed to catch every eye in the room. Each reference has been produced in a series limited to 888 pieces.
Let’s admit it. There’s something almost mystical about black and white. They are in stark contrast to each other but when they work together, good things happen. Consider the alternating squares on a chess board and the precise interplay of the black and white pieces. The game of kings (and queens) is defined by precision and nearly-indescribable beauty. Which brings us back to the two new bicolour Rado True Square Limited Edition watches.
These alluring models in black and white are the first ever bicolour references in the True Square Open Heart collection, which has already enjoyed great acclaim. They are crafted from high-tech ceramic – Rado’s signature material. The striking visual appeal of each model is rounded out with the hours marked by eight Top Wesselton diamonds and four black diamonds. Let’s meet the new watches.
The first features a black high-tech ceramic monobloc case and crown on a polished black and white hightech ceramic bracelet. It has a black PVD sandblasted titanium case back engraved with the words LIMITED EDITION ONE OUT OF 888. The sapphire crystal offers a view of the circular grain decorated movement powering the watch.
The black and white vertically brushed dial is distinguished with eight Top Wesselton full-cut diamonds and four black diamonds to mark the hours. Also highlighting the Open Heart dial are its rhodium-coloured bevels, a black flange, and Rado’s familiar rhodium-coloured moving anchor symbol against a black background. The presentation is rounded out by the silver printed Rado and black printed Automatic logos. The rhodium-coloured hands have a black veneer and white Super-LumiNova®.
The second watch has a white high-tech ceramic monobloc case and crown, and its bracelet – also in polished high-tech ceramic – is white and black. The sandblasted titanium caseback is fitted with a sapphire crystal and special engraving featuring the words LIMITED EDITION ONE OUT OF 888.
Like its black counterpart, it features a black and white vertically brushed dial highlighted by eight white full-cut diamond hour markers and four black ones. It also shares some of the other aesthetic codes that define the stunning dial: the rhodium-coloured bevels, the black flange, and the distinctive rhodiumcoloured moving anchor symbol on a contrasting black background. And its identity is confirmed by the silver printed Rado and black printed Automatic logos.
Both of these bold new True Square Open Heart models are driven by the Rado calibre R734, an automatic movement that delivers an impressive 80-hour power reserve. They are fitted with an antimagnetic Nivachron™ hairspring, adjusted to 5 positions. Thanks to the open heart dial construction and the transparent case back, the movement is on proud display and is distinguished by circular grain decoration. The movement holder features an appealing Côte de Genève pattern. These watches are delivered with a Limited Edition Certificate and a Precious Stones Certificate. They are water resistant to 5 bar (50 metres).
These Rado True Square Open Heart timepieces boldly express the flawless, nearly inevitable partnership of black and white. We mentioned the sublime symmetry of a chess board and the black and white pieces moving purposely across it. It’s fair to say that with the new watches, Rado has maintained its grandmaster status, taking its own game to places no one has been before. Now it’s your move.
Why High-Tech Ceramic? – Because it feels like nothing else….
This is exactly what Rado high-tech ceramic is all about. It's why we say, "Feel it." The ancient origins of its base material render its durability almost inevitable, but it is indeed a great testimonial to the knowhow and experience of the "Master of Materials" that it has proven to be true. High-tech ceramic is a beautifully light substance, and one that is also magnificently scratch-resistant.
In itself, all that might be enough qualities to love, in one exceptional material, but surprisingly, it doesn't stop there. Not only is ceramic durable and impervious to almost everything, it has a rare silkiness to the touch that makes for exquisite comfort against the skin. Place it over a human wrist — fine, large, gentle or rugged, and it feels like it was made to be there — since forever. This is of course particularly true for timepieces making use of ceramic elements also in their bracelet, where the sensory experience becomes total and absolutely unforgettable.
About High-Tech Ceramic
Chronologically-speaking, high-tech ceramic was first introduced by Rado in 1986. Its sensuous feel, durability, scratch resistance and surprising light weight quickly conquered the hearts of watch enthusiasts the world over. Though related in some respects to more common forms of ceramics we all know, hightech ceramic is truly a product of advanced science. Under highly exacting conditions, extremely pure and finely calibrated powders of aluminium oxide, zirconium oxide and silicon nitride with perfectly uniform grain sizes, are shaped into a particular form then baked at high temperature to create an object or a watch case of the desired dimensions and properties. New methods developed by Rado involve the use of a plastic carrier medium mixed with the mineral powders, to allow injection into precision moulds at pressures around 1000 bar. Once cooled, the pieces are removed from their parent mould and the carrier agent dissolved in a standard chemical solvent process, prior to a final sintering phase at 1450°C. This precisely controlled sintering is what makes possible the extraordinary level of density and hardness of High-Tech Ceramic, over regular ceramic. The procedure is true rocket-science territory, as the dimensions of the first moulded elements shrink during sintering; the particles tighten up as porosity disappears and precise calculations must take into account this important change of around 25% in the dimensions. The reward is a case that now stands at 1,250 on the Vickers scale and is ready for final diamond-tool machining and finishing, into an impressive Rado timepiece.