When Rado reintroduced the Overpole as a limited edition in 2022, it came as a single stainless steel model. Today, almost three years later, here is the historically correct version of the Yellow Gold PVD. With the growing popularity of gold watches, this latest RADO is an elegant option for those who still enjoy the tool watch feature. We are fortunate to practice this limited edition and are excited to share all the details.
2019 feels like it was a long time ago, but I still remember stumbling over the overpole of a vintage rad on Yahoo!! A Japanese auction. The watch looked like a Captain Cook Diver, but further details were included. The concave “arena” bezel was filled with city names rather than a 60-minute scale, with indexes applied to the dials instead of printed ones. The bottom line is that I had to have it. When it arrived it was similar to Captain Cook Diver, but I had a hard time finding information about the watch. Enter Rado.
Rado Captain Cooks Gold PVD Overpole
Rado’s headquarters in Switzerland were kind enough to send out the original catalog scans, some painted gold plated versions. This was different from my stainless steel model, but proved that the brand created multiple references. Since 2019 I have seen some vintage gold plated pieces, but they are very rare. In 2022, stainless steel models celebrated the watch’s 60th anniversary, but have had to wait for the Gold Edition so far.
In terms of specifications, the watch is roughly the same as it was released in 2022. This converts into a 39mm x 45mm case with a thin 10.9mm thickness. Rado equips this piece with brown leather straps and PVD treated pin buckles.
For those who want something a little shiny, the included leather pouch includes a PVD-coated squirrel bracelet with a push button folding clasp. Conveniently, the straps and bracelets utilize quick release spring bars.
Silver Sunray Dial
The stainless steel version was paired with a smoky fume dial, while the gold PVD overpole works with the silver sunray version. According to the old catalog, this is historically correct colour, similar to the applied gold-coated index. Other details include a printed black 24-hour scale, model name, and brand signature. Rado also chose vintage off-white Super Luminova with gold-plated hands and room pips on the outside of each index. The classic red and white dating wheels are a vintage touch of fitting, looking at the parts with a similarly red background in the features of the rotating anchor.
The bezel is resistance
There is no denying that the concave bezel is of beauty. Certainly, the ability to collect water rather than leak it from the crystal is a pretty bad idea, but the appearance is very different from standard fares. Brands like Breitling, Croton, Gruen, and of course, Rado used them in the late 50s and early 60s, but their appearance disappeared. With Captain Cook overpole, it’s great that buyers can try out arena bezels in modern applications.
The overpole has a gold PVD treated bi-directional bezel with connor, with shiny black ceramic inserts. Gold lacquer is used within the engraved city name. Because this is ceramic, the name is completely engraved with precise edges and depth. Running your fingers over them and feeling a lack of consistency and burrs is satisfying. To use the bezel, simply line up the appropriate city with the current time in that locale. The rest of the cities are lined up after that, but it’s easy to see the time worldwide. There’s nothing flashy about this process, but it’s effective.
Overpole uses a manual winding caliber
In the original overpole, A. The SchildAS1701 automatic movement was used. Sild was a longtime athletic maker and eventually became part of the ETA in 1979 amid the quartz crisis. It’s stretch that associates today’s movement with the vintage model, but this gold-plated, overpole limited edition also uses ETA-based calibers. However, the automatic R862 is not automatic, it is internal. It is based on the ETA 2804, the 17 jewel hand-wrapped version of the 2824. The RADO fix will lower the frequency of 21,600VPH, but it will provide an upgraded power reserve of 80 hours. There is a Nivachrom Hairspring, and, importantly, it is adjusted to five positions for accuracy. This movement includes Geneva stripes and is displayed through the display window.
It fits and feels good
The modern 39mm Captain Cook Case is perfect for your wrist. Some may raise concerns about the small diameter and 45.5mm lagtoo lug, but the bezel overhangs the case and makes it look bigger. Then it’s fantastic under the sleeves of the shirt, thanks to just 10.9mm thick. In our photo we show a brown strap watch. It gives the watch a more casual look. The gold-tone bracelet is certainly a flashy option, but it’s well-made and supple. Furthermore, the engraved clasp looks classically vintage.
Limited and nice
Rado is creating 1,962 numbered pieces of Gold PVD overpole. The retail price is 3,150 euros, which is not cheap, but as this is a premium product, I feel it’s lined up. Supporting this, the tuned movement and five-year warranty are all decisions that Rado makes to distinguish between brands. Gold is hot right now, and although this is not solid gold, it looks good and is true to the lovely 60s watches. For more information, please visit the official Rado website.
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