Watchmaking has a penchant for being brilliant in its own right, as demonstrated by over two centuries of collective history, cutting-edge innovation and wonderful designs. However, that has not stopped watch brands from seeking out experts in other fields to give their take on watches. Take the more recent Audemars Piguet and KAWS collaboration as the Swiss watchmaker roped in Brian Donnelly on an Internet-breaking sensation. Other memorable creations come to mind, too, such as Seiko’s Power Design Project, Alain Silberstein’s take on Louis Erard’s pieces and Zenith’s chromatic experiments with Spanish artist Felipe Pantone.
Rado has operated in a similar fashion, building its rapport over the past few years amongst various influential designers, including Le Corbusier, Japanese design duo YOY and, Italian-Dutch duo Formafantasma, and award-winning British industrial designer Tej Chauhan. These pieces have defied expectations, flying off the shelves and urging Rado to reprise its collaboration with one of the most successful of the lot — Tej Chauhan, on the iconic Rado DiaStar Original.
Launched in April 1962, the Rado DiaStar took the world by storm with its futuristic take on watchmaking. It debuted with an oversized bezel that further cemented Rado’s bold proclamation as a scratch-proof watch. Six decades later, the watch was revived and became the centre of Chauhan’s fascination. Having worked with Rado on the Rado True Square x Tej Chauhan, the duo are no strangers to each other’s approach. However, there was a caveat to this year’s collaboration: the watch strap had to be crafted in rubber. “Rubber straps always feel sporty, [it’s] an attribute I wanted to avoid for this design.” Chauhan shared.
Part of Chauhan’s consideration for the Rado DiaStar Original x Tej Chauhan was continuity from his True Square project. As such, Chauhan’s party-time index and typeface make a reappearance. From there, Chauhan worked within Rado’s parameters, such as the Ceramos™ bezel and rubber strap. “The key material was Ceramos™, and as a result, my initial focus was on colour.” Early in the design process, he had considered shades of green but ultimately settled on a horological favourite: gold (PVD gold in this instance). “I wanted to see if I could put a fresh, contemporary spin on this otherwise classic colour.” Ceramos™ is one of Rado’s great material innovations, mixing their deep know-how and expertise in high-tech ceramics with metallurgy. The result is an almost alien-like material that offers the lightness and scratch resistance associated with its high-tech ceramic and the lustre of metal.
Another of Chauhan’s touches materialised in the pillow-shaped rubber strap that riffs heavily on the designer’s “Emotive Industrial Design” ethos. Shape, colour, and material are used strategically to create objects that elicit joy in users, and in this instance, they create a tactile and playful contrast to the watch’s imposing bezel.
At the heart of the Rado DiaStar Original x Tej Chauhan is Rado’s calibre R764. Together with its antimagnetic Nivachron™ hairspring, the calibre provides up to 80 hours of power reserve and ensures top-class chronometric performance. Its 100m water resistance pushes the watch further into indestructible territory, cementing Tej Chauhan’s almost-cult status amongst the Rado community.
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