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Rado LaCoupole Diamonds 31mm Ladies Watch Brown
Ref. R22242703
Sits in Rado’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Rado watches we list, which start at £735.
Price range £735 to £5,150 across 61 Rado watches in stock.LaCoupole has been Rado's case for ceramic as a luxury material since the 1980s, when the brand began treating high-tech ceramic not as a practical shortcut but as the centrepiece. This brown iteration makes that argument through monochrome: the case, the bracelet and the dial are pulled into a single continuous tone, with rose gold PVD detailing on the bracelet links and the hands providing the only counterpoint. At 31mm across and 8.4mm deep, the watch sits close to the wrist and reads quietly on smaller wrists. The dial does its work through texture rather than contrast — lacquer-filled wave markings that shift in raking light — and the eleven Top Wesselton full-cut diamonds at the hour positions earn their place by sitting flush with the surface tone rather than announcing themselves. The domed sapphire with its metallised border draws the eye inward rather than outward, which suits the overall restraint. At 71.6 grams for a fully ceramic bracelet watch, it is notably light for something that reads as substantial. Rado's PreciDrive quartz calibre delivers better than standard quartz accuracy without adding case depth, which keeps the slim profile intact.
- Reference
- R22242703
- Brand
- Rado
- Case size
- 31mm
- Case thickness
- 8.4mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Brown
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- R218
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Learn more about Rado
Rado began as Schlup & Co, a movement manufacturer founded by the Schlup brothers in Lengnau in 1917. It became one of the largest movement producers in the world before releasing watches under the Rado name in 1957.
The brand's entire identity rests on a single question: how do you stop a watch from looking worn? The DiaStar of 1962 was marketed as the world's first scratchproof watch, using hardmetal — tungsten carbide — and a sapphire crystal at a time when both were exotic in watchmaking.
Rado then spent decades pushing further into materials most watchmakers avoided because they are difficult to machine and impossible to correct. High-tech ceramic arrived in 1986 with the Integral, and the Ceramica of 1990 was made almost entirely from it. The company developed plasma high-tech ceramic, which is heated to 20,000 degrees to acquire a metallic sheen without any metal content, and Ceramos, a ceramic-metal composite.
The V10K of 2002 used high-tech diamond and reached 10,000 on the Vickers scale — the hardness of diamond itself, and a Guinness record.
Rado's design language is correspondingly clean and monolithic, with the True and Captain Cook lines carrying the modern collection. The company has been part of the Swatch Group since 1983.
- 1917
- Founded as Schlup & Co in Lengnau.
- 1957
- The first watches carry the Rado name.
- 1962
- The DiaStar introduces a scratchproof hardmetal case.
- 1986
- High-tech ceramic enters production.
- 2002
- The V10K reaches diamond-level surface hardness.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (3,460), Watches Under 37mm (1,342), Women's Watches (1,233), Diamond Watches (100), Ceramic Watches (98) and Brown Dial Watches (72).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 31mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- One of Rado's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Price history
This watch is currently at its highest recorded price. It was £2,280 on 14 August. Prices are checked every day, and we record any changes.
Rado LaCoupole Diamonds alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | R22242703 | M0A10478 | 5132-S1S-52181 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,850 | £2,680 | £2,795 |
| Case size | 31mm | 31mm | 32mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £2,850, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
Has the price changed recently?
It's currently at its highest recorded price. It's ranged between £2,280 and £2,850, today it's £2,850.
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