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Rado True Round Automatic Open Heart 40mm Mens Watch
Ref. R27108112
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Stepping up in Rado's range
Rado has been working in high-tech ceramic since the 1980s, longer than almost anyone, and the True Round is where that accumulated knowledge becomes most deliberate. The monoblock construction — case, crown and bracelet cut from the same polished plasma ceramic — is not a styling choice so much as a statement of what the material can do when a manufacturer has mastered it properly. At 10.4mm thick it sits closer to the wrist than the case diameter might suggest, and 112.8 grams is genuinely light for a watch that reads as substantial. The open aperture in the grey sunray dial puts the R734's oscillating weight on display, and the Nivachron hairspring beneath it is antimagnetic in a way that most movements — including far more expensive ones — are not. Eighty hours of power reserve means a Monday winding will see the watch through to Thursday without attention. The exhibition caseback is framed in titanium rather than ceramic, a considered choice: titanium's toughness protects the movement side, while the ceramic does what ceramic does best on the outside, resisting scratches that would fog a metal case within months of daily wear.
- Reference
- R27108112
- Brand
- Rado
- Collection
- True
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 10.4mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Grey
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- R734
- Functions
- Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Ceramic bracelet
- Strap colour
- Grey
- Clasp
- Butterfly clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 80 hours
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 the Rado True range (9), Back in Stock (3,460), Automatic Watches (1,573), Skeleton Watches (248), Grey Dial Watches (193) and Ceramic Watches (98).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 40mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 80-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Rado True Round alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | R27108112 | 128672 | L27934732 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,350 | £2,300 | £2,350 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 30m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Ceramic bracelet | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 80 hours | 38 hours | 72 hours |
| This watch | 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?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 80 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £2,350, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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