When you think of the tennis-related clock house, the name that comes to mind is Rolex. However, the Genevan Watch brand is not the only brand active in sports. Over the past 40 years, Rado has actively supported tennis and has served as the official timekeeper for numerous tennis tournaments on both the men’s and women’s tours. To celebrate 40 years of Rado and tennis, the brand announced a new Captain Cook x Tennisle during GSTAAD’s EFG Swiss Open. The gorgeous mountain destination is the stunning setting for this ATP 250 tournament, and is held annually in the town centre. I had the opportunity to see some amazing tennis and try out the brand’s new Captain Cook x Tennisle.
It is no secret that he has two wonderful loves besides the watch. My passion for music and tennis is well documented in Fraterêtre. So whenever I have the opportunity to combine two of these three, I’m all about the ears and the eyes. When Rado invited me to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his active support for the tennis world at GSTAAD, I was delighted to be able to fly on a plane to a Swiss ski resort. The Swiss Open has long been a well-known tournament between players and fans, and the Swiss Alps provide a dramatic background perfect for a week of professional tennis. Just being there to watch the experts play, it’s pretty extraordinary. I can only imagine the special feeling of giving athletes to play games in a stadium surrounded by high peaks in the Swiss Alps.
40 Years of Rad and Professional Tennis
The tennis tournament was also a great opportunity for Rado to unveil a new watch in commemoration of his active involvement in the sport since 1985. It was a fun trip around Memory Lane for me. I’ve been playing tennis since 1984 when I was 7 years old. That was the year before Rado became the official timekeeper of GSTAAD’s Claycourt Tournament. Over the weekend, I was reminded many times that I was an elderly person and had been playing tennis tournaments for a long time. But it also became a great opportunity to remember some amazing memories that are close to my heart.
Juan Manuel Cerúndolo during GSTAAD’s Swiss Open semifinals
One of my AHA experiences was to remind us that the Rado brand was dominantly present in court during professional tennis tournaments. I saw a big timekeeping clock in the corner of the court, mainly on the TV screen.
Marco Ciudinelli speaks with Martina Hingis and Barbora Klechkovar
Former tennis superstar Martina Hingis reminded her of that fact with the main difference that she was actively present in the courts where these watches were. It was cool that Swiss former world number one player was taking part in the festival along with 2024 Wimbledon Women’s Champion Barbora Krezikova. That’s something I’ve never gotten used to because I don’t want to wear a watch when I play.
Marco Chiudinelli, Martina Hingis, Barbora Krejčíková, and Adrian Bosshard
The story of Rad Captain Cook and Tennisle
Krejčíková was also the first to be handed a new Rado Captain Cook x Tennis Le on a celebration evening at the beautiful Wasserngrat restaurant overlooking Gstaad. She received a watch over the weekend from her elegant host, Radrian Boshardt.
The brand has transformed the mountain restaurant into a small tennis venue with mini tennis courts with mini tennis courts that Hingis, Kurehikova, former men’s pro Marco Chiudinelli and Boshardt can perform after the presentation. During my watch presentation, I focused on creating four different looks inspired by the world of tennis with one watch.
Certainly, changing the strap is easy, but in this case it works. Without any gimmicks, the limited edition Captain Cook has few design clues that directly connect it to the tennis world. But let’s start with the basics. The new RADO Captain Cook x Tennis LE has a 12mm thick 39mm stainless steel case, a 45.5mm lug-to-lug and a 300m water resistance rating. As explained by Lex, this recently introduced case size is the sweet spot of the Captain Cook, located between the 37mm and 42mm models.
A monochromatic canvas to incorporate tips from the tennis world
The case features a polished concave bezel with a grey circular plasma high-tech ceramic insert. This bezel insert displays an engraved diving scale with white lacquered markers and a white Super Luminova Triangle, marking 60 minutes.
Protected under the box-shaped sapphire crystal is a ruthenium-to-white gradient dial. This dial matches an application marker filled with white Super Luminova. Additionally, there is a date window at 3am. Outside the index, you will see Rehaut’s Minute tracks.
You can also find the first tips for special tennis elements. The 15, 30, 40, and 60 minute markers are bright yellow on tennis balls that correspond to the tennis scoring system. A similar hint of bright yellow is displayed, which is used in the hand in the middle seconds.
The watch’s distinctive rhodium-plated hour and minute hands feature a white Super Luminova, while the second hands feature the same neon yellow room. I love that I’ve made most of the solid color versions of Captain Cook, as the Rado designer works so well. The small injection of colour contrasted well, and the subtle nod to the tennis world made me smile while wearing my watch.
Change the appearance of Rad Captain Cook x Tennisle
The Captain Cook x Tennis Le is placed on an extremely comfortable beaded bracelet with a slim folding clasp. Not only will it end your appearance style, it will also be a joy to wear a watch.
But it’s just a quarter of the fun of the watch, as you receive it three NATO straps. The first is a brick-colored one with a white lining, a reference to GSTAAD’s clay court. The second is the dark green NATO strap, which immediately gives off the vibe of a grass coat. Finally, there is a dark blue strap that leads to mainly blue hard coats around the world.
These extra straps and watch come in a grey leather travel pouch. It’s a lovely pouch that makes it easy to bring your favorite straps with you wherever you go. In addition to that, Rado’s EasyClip system allows you to swap the bracelet for one of the straps.
Looking at the colour of the straps, you probably understand why the Rado designer chose the monochromatic watch presence. It allows you to match any of the three straps freely, and the watch is perfectly snug and snug with any of them. I usually prefer watches with bracelets, so that’s my favorite option. However, since straps meant to me that they hit close to home, I would like to switch it more often.
Caliber R763
Hidden behind the specially carved caseback is a Rado Calibre R763. This automatic movement is based on the PowerMatic 80 from Swatch Group. It runs at 21,600VPH, has 25 gems and offers 80 hours of power reserve. Additionally, the caliber features a co-magnetic nivoklon hair spring, and the Rado adjusts in five positions. The polished under-screw crown makes setting the time and date easy.
Despite the smooth surface of the crown, it is easy to grip thanks to its substantial size and effective ring shape. As you can see, the date numbers are printed in red on a white date disc. At first, you might think it’s a bit strange, but the colour corresponds to the dark red rad logo on the dial.
Additionally, white dating discs help to complete the look of a complete set of white hour markers. If the brand chose a gray disc to match the colours, it would not have looked logical. Yes, I understand the choice, but I don’t know if I chose the red printing. Thankfully, when I was wearing the watch it never stood out in negative terms.
She’s wearing Rad Captain Cook and Tennisle
Overall, I loved wearing this model. The smaller 37mm and larger 42mm models fit well on the wrist, but this new 39mm foam is the perfect size for me. I was also impressed by the comfort of my wrist. With its relatively slim case and super suple bracelet, this Captain Cook makes it one of the most comfortable watches I’ve worn these days. Plus, it’s a suitable diving watch and even more impressive.
As for looks, I quickly fell in love with Rad Captain Cook x Tennisle. Of course, this is partly due to the story that hits me close to home. I’ve always been uneasy about celebrating something close to my heart.
It often becomes a disappointing gimmick version of the original watch. However, Rado designers deserve a tribute to the design of this special edition. The integration of tennis elements is elegant and never “over the nose.” As a result, anyone who has no connection to the story can still wear this as a cool, grey version of Captain Cook.
Continuous connections with the sports I love
But if you’re interested in tennis, this is a great celebration of Rad’s connection to the sport. Like I said, I have lots of memories of the brand’s presence in tennis tournaments. This watch is a wonderful reminder of Rad’s 40-year history in sports.
Reminiscing about it, I discovered that history is rather similar to my history of sports. As a result, this special 1,985-piece limited edition is far more than the next Rado Captain Cook.
First, it was a great way to highlight the new 39mm size option. I think it opens up new possibilities for buyers looking for a great vintage-inspired dive watch with modern proportions. Plus, the new medium-sized Captain Cook is wearing it like a dream. The slim profile and vibrant beaded lith bracelet make me happy to wear my wrist every time. But if you want to change things, three NATO straps offer a great way to change the look of your watch.
Final Thoughts on Captain Rad Cook and Tennisle
And for tennis lovers, these straps are more than just a change of color. In addition to the cleverly arranged little hints of bright yellow, they represent the diversity of the surface played by professional players. Overall, this run is a great way for brands to celebrate their connection with tennis without calling out to them.
Finally, attending events to celebrate my connection with Rad with sports at a tennis professional company with many amazing stories also reminded me of my continued love for tennis. This has traveled two of my great highlights this year.
This 1,985-piece Rad Captain Cook x Tennisle costs 2,950 euros and proves that simple, literate storytelling and adorable design language can make it possible for anyone to return home.. This watch perfectly links the brand to the rich history of tennis. This new Captain Cook x Tennisle is always a reminder of our shared history.
