Why This Particular Rado Watch Stood Out At The India Art Fair

(MENAFN- Live Mint) There's plenty of literature out there on the world's first split-second chronograph or the world's first diving watch - but few know about the world's first scratch-resistant watch. The Rado DiaStar original was a groundbreaking timepiece upon launch in 1962. In fact, it was a major milestone on the path to making Rado what it's popularly called today - the master of materials.

While the original was made using a hard-metal carbide alloy, the new DiaStar Original line primarily uses Rado's proprietary“high-tech ceramic”. The watch's global unveiling took place at the India Art Fair for a variety of reasons, the least of which was Chauhan's own Indian origins. India happens to be Rado's largest market, as the brand has enjoyed uncanny success in the country, largely because it was one of the first few luxury watch brands to enter India but also due to the scratch and temperature-resistant nature of its watches. Even two decades later, a Rado watch made of ceramic does not look its age.

The DiaStar Original isn't the watch of the hour, however. Its latest reimagined iteration by celebrated British industrial designer Tej Chauhan is. The DiaStar Original x Tej Chauhan is a special edition watch, one that took centre stage at the India Art Fair , where it was unveiled. On the surface, it's joyously unconventional, although Rado's designs are always rooted in functionality. While the general consensus on good design is its ability to solve a problem, Chauhan's work goes beyond the domain of functionality.“For me, the design has to be able to spark joy,” says the British industrial designer who was behind some of the most iconic Nokia phone designs in what was undoubtedly the golden age of phones. Chuan has given the new DiaStar Original a similar joyous touch using bright yellow gold-coloured PVD coating to cover the iconic case of the DiaStar. There are other unique attributes, such as the watch's use of a new proprietary material developed by Rado called Ceramos. In terms of functionality, it offers the same scratch-resistant and hypoallergenic benefits as High-Tech Ceramic, except about ten per cent of it is an alloy, which helps give it a metallic lustre while retaining its age-resistant and lightweight properties.

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