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Rado HyperChrome Chronograph XXL Tennis Limited Edition 45mm Stainless Steel and Ceramic
Ref. R32022305
Sits in Rado’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Rado watches we list, which start at £950.
Price range £950 to £5,150 across 72 Rado watches in stock.Released in an edition of 999 pieces worldwide, this HyperChrome was built as a direct tribute to clay court tennis — the brown dial and textured leather strap mapping directly onto the aesthetic of Roland Garros rather than arriving at it by coincidence. The fixed tachymeter bezel and the chronograph complication complete the sense of purpose: a watch made for a specific sporting context, with colour choices that mean something rather than merely coordinate. The monobloc case is plasma high-tech ceramic throughout — one piece, no seams — which produces that deep grey-metallic sheen without a gram of metal in the structure. At 45mm it reads large, but ceramic sits against the wrist with a lightness and thermal neutrality that a steel case of the same dimensions simply cannot match. The ETA 2894-2 inside is the movement Swatch Group reaches for when it needs a modular chronograph that will run accurately, service cleanly and wind smoothly for decades; at 4Hz it sweeps rather than ticks through the chronograph function. The skeletonised hands coated in Super-LumiNova read clearly in dim light against the brown dial, and the deployment clasp reduces the wear a raw buckle would put through the leather over time — a detail that matters more once the strap has been on the wrist for a few months.
- Reference
- R32022305
- Brand
- Rado
- Collection
- HyperChrome
- Case size
- 45mm
- Case thickness
- 13mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Brown
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed tachymeter
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- ETA 2894
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Small seconds, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Brown
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 45 hours
- Origin
- Swiss made
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 Automatic Watches (1,425), Chronograph Watches (1,287), Leather Strap Watches (998), Watches 44mm and Over (973), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (211) and Limited Edition Watches (179).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Rado's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 45mm is a large watch with real presence
- Leather does not suit regular contact with water
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | R32022305 | L28384532 | A25310241K1X1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,450 | £3,550 | £3,450 |
| Case size | 45mm | 43mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Leather strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 45 hours | 72 hours | 42 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 45 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb at £3,450, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £3,450 from Mappin & Webb. A pre-owned watch has been worn, and is normally sold under the retailer’s own warranty rather than the manufacturer’s.
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