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Rado HyperChrome 45mm Mens Watch
Ref. R32259163
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Stepping up in the same dial colour
The HyperChrome chronograph is Rado's argument that a sports watch can be built from materials usually reserved for something more considered. The case combines Ceramos — Rado's own ceramic-metal composite — with stainless steel, giving it the hardness and scratch resistance of ceramic without the brittleness that ceramic alone carries at this scale. At 44.9mm it reads as a proper sporting watch on the wrist, but 11.7mm of thickness is restrained for a chronograph with three sub-dials, and it sits flatter under a cuff than the diameter might suggest. The grey dial carries 60-second, 30-minute and 1/10th-second chronograph registers, all legible against the tachymeter bezel when timing is actually in use rather than decorative. At 167 grams the bracelet has genuine presence — this is not a watch that disappears on the wrist — and the push-button fold-over clasp holds that weight securely without fuss on or off.
- Reference
- R32259163
- Brand
- Rado
- Collection
- HyperChrome
- Case size
- 44.9mm
- Case thickness
- 11.7mm
- Lug width
- 21mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Grey
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed tachymeter
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- R312
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Weight
- 167g
- 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 the Rado HyperChrome range (8), Back in Stock (3,460), Stainless Steel Watches (2,531), Chronograph Watches (914), Watches 44mm and Over (569) and Grey Dial Watches (193).
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What the specifications mean
Strengths
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Rado's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 44.9mm sits at the larger end
Rado HyperChrome alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | R32259163 | 98B452 | H37512131 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,650 | £995 | £990 |
| Case size | 44.9mm | 43mm | 44mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 100m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch |
|
|
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 comparedWhat size strap does it take?
21mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £1,650, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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