Rado Mother of Pearl Watches

*Click for a larger image*To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Rado's Sintra model, the company has come out with this limited edition of 1,000 watches.Twelve blue sapphires indicate the hours on the white mother-of-pearl dial. The case and bracelet are made in a platinum-look scratchproof ceramic.It is available in two sizes. Movements are ETA quartz modules.9/5/03

TweetEmailSwiss watchmaker Rado has been obsessing over highly scratch resistant watchesfor over 40 years, and now it looks like they have truly outdone themselves withthe RadoV10K. The name "V10K" comes from 10,000 Vickers. Vickers area measurement of hardness and resistance, and 10,000 is the top of the scale –achieved only by diamonds, and now, by the Rado V10K.Some of the materials that go into the Rado V10K are fairly standard: titaniumcaseback and clasp (extremely strong and lightweight), sapphire crystal, and arubber strap (available in black, orange, red, and blue). The rest of the watch,however, is decidedly non-standard. Using a furnace capable of recreating the atmosphericpressure of Jupiter, Rado actually coats the case of the V10K with synthetic diamonds.If diamonds are the hardest substance in the world, the only way to build a trulyscratch-proof watch is to actually use diamonds to coat it.It's nice to see that Rado did not sacrifice aesthetics to achieve this amazingfeat. While the V10K is certainly an unconventional watch, it is also simple, stark,and stunning. It's so simple and stark, in fact, that it doesn't even have a crownto interrupt the flow of its form. Rather, the watch is adjusted by placing a magneticdevice which is integrated into the strap against the caseback — at once, bothhigh-tech and retro (remember the Pulsar LEDs of the 70's?).The Rado V10K contains a Swiss quartz movement. It's is water resistant, and comeswith a 2-year guarantee. Pricing is available upon request.