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Rado Captain Cook 43mm Automatic Mens Watch
Ref. R32128202
Sits in Rado’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Rado watches we list, which start at £1,050.
Price range £1,050 to £5,150 across 66 Rado watches in stock.The Captain Cook began in 1962 as a straightforward dive instrument, and this ceramic version is where that lineage lands when Rado applies its core materials expertise to it. The monobloc case is machined from plasma high-tech ceramic — the process that gives the grey its metallic depth — and the unidirectional bezel carries a blue ceramic insert that coordinates with the dial rather than contrasting with it. Through the tinted sapphire, the skeletonised R734 is visible: an openworked Powermatic 80 architecture with a Nivachron hairspring that resists magnetic interference without needing a soft-iron cage, adjusted in five positions and running for 80 hours between winds. At 43mm across and 14.6mm thick, this is not a slim watch, but ceramic changes the experience of wearing something this size. The 157-gram weight is markedly less than a steel diver of equivalent dimensions, and the material warms to the wrist quickly. The bracelet closes with a titanium butterfly clasp — titanium rather than ceramic at the clasp, where the mechanism demands it — and sizing runs through traditional pin-and-collar links across the polished central and matte outer rows, which means adjustment is straightforward without a jeweller.
- Reference
- R32128202
- Brand
- Rado
- Collection
- Captain Cook
- Case size
- 43mm
- Case thickness
- 14.6mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Powermatic 80
- Functions
- Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 300m
- Bracelet / strap
- Ceramic bracelet
- Strap colour
- Grey
- Clasp
- Butterfly clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Condition
- Vintage
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 49.8mm
- 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 Automatic Watches (1,324), Blue Dial Watches (792), Sports Watches (687), Dive Watches (468), Skeleton Watches (210) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (100).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 300m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- 49.8mm lug-to-lug keeps the 43mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 80-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- 43mm sits at the larger end
- 14.6mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | R32128202 | SLA079J1 | 01 743 7734 4197-SET |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,700 | £2,580 | £2,550 |
| Case size | 43mm | 42.6mm | 43.5mm |
| Water resistance | 300m | 300m | 300m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Ceramic bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 80 hours | 50 hours | 41 hours |
| 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?
Yes. At 300m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational 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 80 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 49.8mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £2,700, ex-display. 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 ex-display only, at £2,700 from Goldsmiths. Ex-display watches are unworn shop stock rather than second-hand — sold below the recommended retail price, and with the manufacturer’s guarantee intact.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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