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Rado Hyperchrome Chronograph 45mm
Ref. R32259323
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Stepping up in Rado's range
The HyperChrome line is where Rado applies its ceramic expertise to sport-adjacent forms — and this chronograph makes the case most visibly. The bezel is polished green high-tech ceramic, carrying an engraved tachymeter, while the dial behind it matches in colour: an arrangement that reads as a considered whole rather than a dial dropped into a generic case. At 44.9mm and 11.7mm thick, it wears with the presence that a chronograph of this type demands without becoming unwieldy. The bracelet does most of the work in the hand. The three-row construction alternates polished steel outer links with yellow gold PVD-brushed centre links — a combination that ties directly to the gold-toned hands and indices on the dial, so the watch reads consistently from case to clasp. The lume on those hands is white Super-LumiNova against the gold coating, which means the colour temperature shifts slightly after dark: legible, but different from what you see in daylight. The chronograph itself resolves to a tenth of a second, with sub-dials tracking sixty seconds and thirty minutes. The date sits at four o'clock, clear of the sub-dial layout. At 140 grams on the wrist, it is a watch you are aware of wearing.
- Reference
- R32259323
- Brand
- Rado
- Collection
- HyperChrome
- Case size
- 44.9mm
- Case thickness
- 11.7mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed tachymeter
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- R312
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- 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 Green Dial Watches (339).
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 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
- 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 | R32259323 | H37512131 | YA136208A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,650 | £990 | £1,400 |
| Case size | 44.9mm | 44mm | 45mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 200m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| 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.
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 comparedCheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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