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Rado Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton 43mm Automatic Mens Watch
Ref. R32150162
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 the 1960s as Rado's answer to the dive watch, and this skeleton variant is the most technically ambitious form it has taken. The case is a monobloc in matte olive-green high-tech ceramic — meaning the body is machined from a single piece of material, with no joins to admit water — and the rose-gold PVD bezel sitting above it creates a deliberate contrast that pulls the whole thing away from any reading of plain sportswear. What makes the execution unusual is how those materials interact with the exposed movement beneath. The tinted sapphire over the skeleton dial colours the view of the R808's gear train rather than simply revealing it, and the geometric indices sit in front of that layered depth. The R808 itself carries a Nivachron hairspring — an anti-magnetic alloy that holds its rate better than traditional steel near magnetic fields — and an 80-hour power reserve, which means a watch left on the nightstand Friday evening is still running Monday morning. At 151.3 grams for an all-ceramic build, the weight is real and purposeful; the bracelet's titanium deployment clasp is one considered concession to lightness at the point where it matters most.
- Reference
- R32150162
- Brand
- Rado
- Collection
- Captain Cook
- Case size
- 43mm
- Case thickness
- 14.6mm
- Case material
- Ceramic
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Grey
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- R808
- Functions
- Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 300m
- Bracelet / strap
- Ceramic bracelet
- Strap colour
- Green
- Clasp
- Three-fold clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Condition
- Ex-display
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 80 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 (1,324), Sports Watches (687), Dive Watches (468), Grey Dial Watches (230), 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
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 80-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Rado's more premium watches
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 | R32150162 | 01 400 7790 4157-07 4 23 47EB | L37741502 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,113 | £3,300 | £2,950 |
| Case size | 43mm | 43.5mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 300m | 300m | 300m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Ceramic bracelet | Rubber strap | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 80 hours | 120 hours | 72 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.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £3,113, 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 £3,113 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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