ReviewThe Rado Hyperchrome Automatic Chronograph

“HyperChrome” may sound a little quaint as the name of a watch. But if you ask me, the name has a great appeal, since it conveys the strong technical prowess of Rado. Headquartered in Lengnau, Switzerland, they are renowned for creating innovative watches that have stood the test of time.

Rado has pioneered the use of ceramic, an incredibly toughened, scratch resistant material;  in watchmaking. Rado aficionados understand how new materials and new technologies have defined the brand DNA since its inception.

Apart from being scratch resistant, HyperChrome is also well known for its “monobloc” construction, i.e. the entire watch case (specifically the bezel, the center of the case and the lugs) is made of a single piece of ceramic and there is absolutely no inner steel core; it is solid ceramic! For making this, a liquid form of ceramic is injected into a mould that already has all the openings for the side inserts, bracelet, as well as the crown and pushers. In this mould, the injected zirconium oxide is subjected to elevated pressure (1,000 bars), then cooled down and removed from the mould; only to be finally sintered at 1,450 degrees Celsius in a furnace. Because of its high density, the ceramic can then be polished to a high shine, which you might have already noticed in some of their watches. Rado has innovated this amazing technology to transform high-tech ceramic plasma into a highly durable material, which has a superb metallic shine that does not to fade over time.

“The plasma thing just blows my mind and it’s amazing to think I have a genuine piece of modern alchemy on my wrist.”

- Hrithik Roshan

The Rado HyperChrome we know

This 45mm timepiece is made entirely of their trademark black ceramic with just the pushers made of steel. The dial displays all the essentials in a well-balanced form and the striking white-on-black aesthetic makes it easy to read as well.

The watch comes with a Chronograph feature; three large sub-dials indicate the hour, minute and seconds arranged in a V shape. The central second hand can be started, stopped and zeroed with the rectangular pushers.  The applied indexes are polished white, just as the edge of the sub-dial rings. The white and black creates a subtle, yet nice contrast whilst the white Super-LumiNova® on the indexes and the minute and hour hands highlight the Hyperchrome in dark. Sometimes, it appears that it’s a little easier to read the time at night than during the day!

The date aperture (with black date disc) is located at 4:30 and does not interfere with the large sub-dials. Being a round shaped window, it flows rather nicely with the chronograph sub-dials. Adjusting the time, date and winding is a real pleasure, the rubber molded crown is easy to operate, and offers a good grip.

The little anchor above the logo is a nice addition on the face of the watch.  The side finish of the HyperChrome Automatic Chronograph also adds elegance to its look.

An inside look

The watch has an ETA 2895-2 self-winding movement with a 42-hour power reserve, which is great by any standard of its class. The automatic rotor is black, which is well protected and can be seen through a sapphire case back when you flip the watch. The Hyperchrome is also water resistant up to 100 meters.

Though 45mm in size, it fits perfectly on a relatively small wrist too! Additionally, the ceramic bracelet makes it the watch with substance, giving it an integrated look and feel.

The Rado HyperChrome chronograph is a sports watch. However thanks to its minimalistic design, it can pass easily for a dress watch too. This timepiece is both practical and convenient.

“If we can imagine it, we can make it, and if we can make it, we will” – the motto of Rado aptly conveys their determination to translate their dreams of creating elegant and technologically superior watches into reality, over and over again.