Timeless in ceramic

Rado's new DiaMaster range of watches surprises with its sleek design that vibrates with a traditional, classic appeal

The last couple of years have seen a revival of classic watch designs, especially with striking gold and silver straps that add to the bling factor. So a first glance at the new Rado DiaMaster range naturally leads me to believe that the Swiss watchmaker is following that trend. A closer look at the literature proves me completely wrong. These classic beauties in black, white and platinum-finish are created with treated ceramic, an unlikely candidate for watchmaking material.

Matthias Breschan, Rado's CEO, explains the reason behind this unique choice. "The plasma-ceramic that we use for our watches looks and feels like steel, but has definite advantages over the metal." Ceramic is lighter and more scratch-resistant than metal, is hypo-allergenic and can adapt to one's body temperature. But ceramic comes with its own challenges. "It took us years to develop the technology that would make our watches stylish and functional," he says. The previous ceramic watches were largely black, square and shiny. But the latest DiaMaster range features watches with rose gold, yellow gold, white and platinum finish, besides the traditional black variant. "Our focus has always been more on the housing - the design and materials - rather than the movement. I think this is what attracts a younger segment to our brand," adds Breschan. The ceramic material is used for almost all watches, except a few that use stainless steel.

Actor Vidushi Mehra, who recently starred in Aisha and Fugly, has a different opinion on the age factor. "My parents gifted an Omega watch to me on my 21st birthday. Compared to that, I feel the new Rado watches exude a sophistication that comes with age," she says. Mehra, who shares these design sensibilities with her husband, designer Nikhil Mehra, believes that the brand is an amalgamation of affordability and luxury. "It definitely has a certain aspirational quality."

She adds that the new collection of watches spelt '"instant love" for her, and she had her heart set on one from this range. "I think this is one of Rado's best collections, and it goes well with both ethnic Indian and western wear." Mehra liked the limited-edition, plasma DiaMaster the most. The watch's bracelet is made of plasma ceramic, with a 45-mm automatic chronographdial and an all-grey, subtle look.

The watch that caught my fancy was the 41-mm dial, black DiaMaster, which has a minimalistic, classic appeal. The rose gold-coloured hands set off well with the all-black design, and the high-tech ceramic bracelet adds a sleekness to the watch's overall appeal.

Breschan insists that gifting watches finds special favour with Indians, and that these watches can be contemporary and timeless at the same time. These watches are available across exclusive Rado boutiques in the country, and the prices are disclosed on request, but broadly they range between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2.75 lakh.