Rado True Square Open Heart, now with Silver Highlights

Rado is synonymous with trendy design-led watches and high-tech ceramic, a material the brand has been playing with since the 1990s. Last year Rado introduced the True Square Automatic, a slinky, smooth, high-tech ceramic model with openworked and regular dials. For 2021, Rado introduces a subtle colour variation on the openworked model, now with silvery grey accents. All the other specifications are identical to the 2020 version.

Square ceramic watches

The Rado Ceramica of 1990 was the brand’s first square watch made from high-tech ceramic. Its sleek geometry and minimalism established the aesthetic we associated with Rado’s ceramic watches. In 1988, the Ceramica was treated to another derivation of ceramic known as high-tech plasma ceramic, and in 2016 industrial designer Konstantin Grcic re-imagined the Ceramica in stark matte grey and black ceramic.  As a sibling of the Ceramica, the True Square is obviously square but attenuates the rigid geometry of the square case with gently rounded corners for a softer, smoother, more sensuous look and feel.

Unlike prior Rado collections that used pressed high-tech ceramics, the True Square models have a monobloc case made from injection-moulding technology. Measuring a restrained 38mm across the slim 9.7mm height makes it a perfect unisex dress watch candidate. The liquid effect that seems to flow from the case to the integrated bracelet is achieved by polishing the black high-tech ceramic to an almost mirror finish. Apart from the glossy smooth surface, high-tech ceramic is extremely scratch-resistant, hypoallergenic and wonderfully light: the watch weighs just 120 grams.

Openworked Dial

With flat anti-reflective sapphire crystals over the dial and caseback, the Open Heart model reveals most of the automatic movement. Differing from the 2020 version, the large cut-out areas on the dial are now framed in silver instead of the golden colour of last year’s editions. The rhodium-plated indices and the hands also echo the silver colour, and both features are treated with a strip of white Super-LumiNova for visibility in low light conditions. Two circular apertures, one at 12 o’clock and the other at 7 o’clock, reveal the balance wheel and part of the gear train respectively. The silvery bridges over the movement are decorated with perlage, and in the four corners of the dial, you can see the vertical Côtes de Genève finishing. In a departure from the closed dial versions of the True Square, the Open Heart does not feature a date window reserving the location for the brand’s logo and hallmark moving anchor.

Powerful Movement

The titanium caseback has a round sapphire glass window revealing the C07 calibre, an automatic based on the ETA C07.111 Powermatic with a frequency of 21,600vph, an extended power reserve of 80 hours and silicon escapement. Functions include central hours, minutes hacking seconds.

Price

The Rado True Square Open Heart (reference R27086152) retails for EUR 2,350. For more information and orders, please visit Rado’s website.