Well-known for their elite usage of high-tech ceramics, a duo of releases flexing Rado’s horological intelligence pays a heartfelt homage to chess, the greatest game of all time.
Since the late eighties with the release of the Integral, Rado has been notorious for their experimentation with High-Tech Ceramic. Introducing the first watch with a high-tech ceramic bracelet was only the start, it seems, as for not one moment has Rado felt content to rest on its laurels.
Constant technological advancements in this area and consistently dazzling the watch world have given the Swatch Group brand a fearsome reputation, something especially true now given how often ceramic is used in wristwatches these days. Rado was certainly ahead of its time, intelligently using high-tech ceramics like no other brand ever had. It must have felt fitting, then, for the Lengnau brand to join arms with a sport that requires a similarly deep intellect.
I hardly believe that chess needs an introduction. The great game is played the world over and has had a sort of resurgence as of late. From modern masterminds like Magnus Carlsen to the quick-witted online personalities like the Botez sisters, and even popular fictional legends like Beth Harmon, the rise of popularity in modern chess has become a cultural phenomenon.
So it would seem, that the design of these new True Square watches is rather self-explanatory – but no less incredible. Black and white are an easy colour (read: shade) pairing to make, yes, but the Rado True Square puts an entirely new spin on the combo.
The new True Square comes in two types: One with a white ceramic case and black accents; and an inverted model using a black ceramic case and white accents. Since they’re technically the same watch (but reversed), I don’t think there is a wrong answer if you were to pick favourites.
Crafted delicately into a 38mm monobloc square case, the skeletonised dial has been coloured in a black-and-white grid pattern resembling a chessboard. The stripped-back dial reveals the Rado Cal. R734, beating at the luxury standard of 4Hz (28,800VpH) on an 80-hour power reserve. This same movement is also present on the Captain Cook Ceramic collection, although it’s partially hidden away by the translucent dial.
RELATED READING: A Deep Dive Into The Rado Captain Cook & The Materials That Helped Chart Its Path
One final thing that may catch your eye is the addition of eight Top Wesselton full-cut diamonds and four black diamonds inside the dial. The addition of diamonds to this watch may sound odd, but hear me out, as they add such an awesome detail to the timepiece: The four black diamonds are present at the 4, 5, 10, and 11 indexes – in the white zones of the dial’s skeletonised grid! Similarly, the eight Top Wesseltons are present only in the black zones’ hour markers – inverting the colours (shades) of the dial grid and adding another layer to an already cleverly designed watch.
Final Thoughts
As I said in my Zenith Revival Diver A3648 Review, the unifying factor of any attractive watch design is that it cannot be boring. Boring doesn’t mean functional or practical, though. It just means that the watch has to not pretend like it’s something that it isn’t – like a diver’s watch with a leather band.
In the case of these two Rados, there’s absolutely no chance that you can mistake this for any type of watch other than fun. It’s a statement piece that has a beautifully smart design language that tips the hat to the similarly beautiful and smart game of chess. In the end, I’d like to believe that it’s having fun that really matters, both in horology and in chess. Monopoly, on the other hand… that’s a story for another time.
Reference: R27073752 (White/Black), R27086752 (Black/White)
- Dimensions: 38mm case diameter x 44.2mm lug-to-lug x 9.7mm thickness
- Case Material: White high-tech ceramic case and crown, monoblock construction and Sandblasted titanium caseback or black high-tech ceramic case and crown, monobloc construction and black PVD sandblasted titanium caseback
- Dial: Black & white vertical brushed with rhodium-coloured bevels, Jubilé 0.0716 carats and 8 diamonds, 110/115, Top Wesselton, VS-SI, full cut and 4 diamonds, 110/115, black, full cut.
- Movement: Automatic Cal. R734 pivoting on 25 jewels and beating at 4Hz / 28,800 VpH
- Power Reserve: 80h
- Water Resistance: 50m (5bar)
- Strap: High-Tech Ceramic bracelet with titanium folding clasp.
