Hands-On With The RADO Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic

October 29, 2021

Captain Cook? No, its Captain Nemo Im thinking of when I look at the black, shiny, and semi-transparent aquatic watch on my wrist. Lets go hands-on with the RADO Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic as we welcome a little steampunk to our lives…According to Wikipedia steampunk is a retro-futuristic subgenre of science fiction that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. I couldnt have said it better myself. One look at the black RADO Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic and ?I think of Jules Vernes Captain Nemo aboard his futuristic submarine Nautilus - a vessel both incredibly luxurious and technically advanced. It must be the mix of smooth-looking and glossy state-of-the-art ceramics and the hard-working engine you see beating below deck. The watch would feel right at home in Vernes novel from 1869 Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas: A World Tour Under Water and on Nemos wrist.RADO Captain Cook High-Tech CeramicIf it works for Nemo, it works for me. The RADO Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Watch comes in three other variations, but I picked out the RS32127156 with its sporty rubber strap ($3,400). Comfort is what this watch is all about. Although 43mm is by no means small, it doesnt wear like a typical steel watch in this size. And thats because of the ceramic case that adapts almost immediately to your body temperature.The rubber strap makes you forget you have Captain Cook on your wristPairing the ceramic case with a rubber strap with a slightly retro look makes you forget you re wearing a Captain Cook. And although I prefer a pin buckle over a folding clasp on a sporty or retro-rubber strap, it felt good on the wrist. To stay within the terminology of the ancient British seafarer the watch was named after, it gets lost on your wrist only to be discovered when you want to know the time.Plain sailing with Captain CookThere are two things that stand out. The aforementioned wear-and-forget way it behaves on the wrist, and the case shape, box-shaped sapphire crystal, and the diving bezel. It has the timeless appearance of the more traditional Captain Cook, but with a contemporary twist. Its black, its sinister, and its definitely high-tech. Its evolution on the wrist.Through the smokeLast but not least I come to the movement that beats beneath the smokey sapphire dial. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with the skeletonized caliber R734. Its a modern movement that offers 80 hours of power reserve, is outfitted with an anti-magnetic hairspring (Nivachron), and has been adjusted in five positions for better accuracy. Simply put, this is trusted ETA tech. Its just that I dont want to look at the engine room all the time. I prefer looking at it every once in a while by turning the watch on its back.I m more captain Haddock than captain Nemo I guessIn the case of the ceramic Captain Cook theres a smokey black-tinted sapphire to let you take a filtered peek. But with the movement shimmering through the dial you notice it every time you want to know the time. Okay, the characteristic rotating anchor also draws attention, but thats a signature of the brand you dont want to miss. In an ideal world Id wear a black Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic with a solid black dial. I m more captain Haddock than captain Nemo I guess.Ships that pass in the nightAfter a short on my wrist it was time for the RADO Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic to plot a course to new horizons. Yes, a courier came to pick it up to get it back to RADO but that doesnt sound very poetic. I liked the smooth-to-the-touch, shiny High-Tech Ceramic watch that is named after an 18th-century explorer that kinda looks like the timing device of a 19th-century submariner and feels at home on the wrist of a 21st-century landlubber like me. The semi-clear view of the movement is the only feature Im not overly fond of. I cant blame the Captain for that because open-worked dials and skeletonized movements never seem to get my heart racing. But black ceramic sure does. More information about all versions of the Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic can be found on RADOs website.Please find and follow me on Lex Stolk ? InstagramWatch specifications Brand Rado Model Captain Cook High-Tech CeramicReference R32127156 | 01.734.6127.3.215Dial Open-workedCase Material CeramicCase Dimensions 43 x 14.6mmCrystal Smoked sapphireCase Back Smoked sapphire Movement R734Water Resistance 300mStrap RubberFunctions Hours, minutes, central secondsPrice $3,400Warranty 2 years