Rado R32102172 Review

My watch review today - Rado Hyperchrome Ceramic Touch Dual Timer Quartz R32102172

This is the final watch of my three Rados, the Dual Timer. This is a truly strange watch. Once you learn its quirks, it can be a good travel companion. I got this watch by cashing in incentive points from my company. I’ve acquired a number of more unusual watches this way, as it’s fun to experiment when it ‘free’.  Right out of the box, there’s a real difference in this one; there’s no crown at all! How do you set this thing?More on that later.

First the overall look. This watch, like my Rado automatic, has a Hyperchrome finish. However, while the automatic watch has a very ‘liquid metalic’ look, this one looks much more like a grey polished ceramic. The bracelet has a mix of polished exterior and flat interior links that you only see in some lights. I  find the dial attractive because of the overall dark look, without being black. The hands are thin, but the lume  on the hands and minute markers is actually useful, because of the contrast with the dark dial. This dial is very legible in low light, which surprised me.

The bezel and case are very smooth and comfortable, with nice details. The sapphire crystal is anti-reflective which helps the ‘dark’ look. The caseback has a solid flat finish which I think contributes to the comfort of the watch and the 50m water resistance. This watch has a similar price to the Rado Hyperchrome automatics about $1.5-2k.

Now on to the weird. Setting this watch is an interesting parlor trick. There are four sensitive spots on the case at 2,4,8, and 10 on the dial. You set the exterior and interior dials by an intricate set of touches and swipes. Here’s a fun YouTube video on this: https://youtu.be/l91B2iaGe_g Trust me, if you ever own this watch, you will look at this a lot! The weird goes on as the strong bifold clasp is released by two exterior pushers and one not so easy to find interior clasp. Ceramic Rados look different than any other watch to a level people notice. Finally, there aren’t a lot of ADs in the US, and most dealers are not willing to touch Rados. We use the the central Rado service facility even for battery changes, which is responsive and fairly quick. I wonder if Swatch, which owns Rado, doesn’t see the US as a core market. Tissot, Hamilton and Longines, also Swatch brands are all in a similar price group and seem to have a stronger US presence.

As this is the only ‘no crown’ watch I know about (happy to hear if there are others), the ceramic material Rado uses is unique and I think no one but you will ever know how to set this watch or even get it on their wrist, this is one weird beast. The dual time zones are very legible however and I like the comfort and the look of the easy reading dial. This is some of the most fun I’ve had for free!