Rado has aligned itself with trend forecaster and regular Design Indaba speaker Li Edelkoort before and has done it again this year, suggesting the company hit on a formula that works both for their brand and its customers.
Rather than restricting Edelkoort’s notoriously creative mind to the product side of the watch industry however, Rado cleverly allowed her to drift across into a more ephemeral space. Titled Designing Lightness, her project combines new designs for Rado with artworks in lightweight, curvaceous materials.
In her own words: “Design becomes portable and wearable, featherweight fabrics are clothing the body, and thin, sober watches stretch into infinity. Material is the message and mindfulness is the movement.”
The latest Rado True collection features a limited edition of 500 Open Heart watches in matt black and (shown above) polished white in hi-tech ceramic. Featuring a decorated, ETA-made automatic Swiss movement, the ultra-thin 0.6mm mother-of-pearl dial features cutouts to partially expose the inner mechanics. This results in a wispy, diaphonous look loaded with intrigue.
Further play on Edelkoort’s “lightness” theme comes in the ceramic used for the strap and case, a material that is 25% lighter than steel by volume yet also nearly five times harder. This curious mix of hard-wearing, resistant qualities with the lightweight wrist feel is Rado through and through.
One solitary crown at 3 o’clock on the dial allows the wearer to adjust the hours and minutes, nothing more. In keeping with the minimalist styling overall there are no other displays or complications on offer. In an era when our smartphones are never far from our grasp, Edelkoort seems to question the real meaning of a wristwatch for a modern consumer.
July 2016
Rado and Li Edelkoort team up to improve customer experience
In the Rado True Open Heart, the material is the message and mindfulness is the movement
In the constant quest to add interest, meaning and relevance to their products, watch brands have been known to sponsor hot-air balloon competitions, subject a watch to weeks of constant stress testing and even integrate pieces of meteorite into their designs. Some such initiatives genuinely improve the product or customer experience while others are swiftly dropped in favour of the next big idea.
Rado has aligned itself with trend forecaster and regular Design Indaba speaker Li Edelkoort before and has done it again this year, suggesting the company hit on a formula that works both for their brand and its customers.
Rather than restricting Edelkoort’s notoriously creative mind to the product side of the watch industry however, Rado cleverly allowed her to drift across into a more ephemeral space. Titled Designing Lightness, her project combines new designs for Rado with artworks in lightweight, curvaceous materials.
In her own words: “Design becomes portable and wearable, featherweight fabrics are clothing the body, and thin, sober watches stretch into infinity. Material is the message and mindfulness is the movement.”
The latest Rado True collection features a limited edition of 500 Open Heart watches in matt black and (shown above) polished white in hi-tech ceramic. Featuring a decorated, ETA-made automatic Swiss movement, the ultra-thin 0.6mm mother-of-pearl dial features cutouts to partially expose the inner mechanics. This results in a wispy, diaphonous look loaded with intrigue.
Further play on Edelkoort’s “lightness” theme comes in the ceramic used for the strap and case, a material that is 25% lighter than steel by volume yet also nearly five times harder. This curious mix of hard-wearing, resistant qualities with the lightweight wrist feel is Rado through and through.
One solitary crown at 3 o’clock on the dial allows the wearer to adjust the hours and minutes, nothing more. In keeping with the minimalist styling overall there are no other displays or complications on offer. In an era when our smartphones are never far from our grasp, Edelkoort seems to question the real meaning of a wristwatch for a modern consumer.
Movement: ETA-made automatic
Case: 40mm diameter, polished ceramic
Features: 80 hours’ power reserve, limited edition of 500
Strap: hi-tech ceramic with threefold buckle
SA distributor: Swatch Group, rado.com
ZAR price: on request