Looking Back At Four Decades Of Love For Tennis With the Rado Captain Cook × Tennis LE
When you think of horology houses involved in tennis, the immediate name that comes to mind is Rolex. However, the Genevan watch brand is not the only one active in the sport. Over the past four decades, Rado has actively supported tennis and served as the official timekeeper of numerous tennis tournaments on both the men’s and women’s tours. To celebrate four decades of Rado and tennis, the brand unveiled its new Captain Cook × Tennis LE during the EFG Swiss Open in Gstaad. The luxurious mountain destination is a stunning setting for this ATP 250 tournament, which takes place annually in the center of town. I had a chance to watch some great tennis and try out the brand’s new Captain Cook × Tennis LE.
It’s no secret that I have two great loves besides watches. My passions for music and tennis are well documented here on Fratello. So whenever there is a chance to combine two of these three, I am all ears and eyes. When Rado invited me to celebrate its 40th anniversary of active support of the world of tennis in Gstaad, I was happy to jump on a plane to the Swiss ski resort. The Swiss Open has long been a famous tournament among players and fans alike, and the Swiss Alps provide the perfect dramatic backdrop for a week of professional tennis. Just being there to watch the professionals play is rather extraordinary. I can only imagine the special feeling it must give the athletes to play a match in a stadium surrounded by the high peaks of the Swiss Alps.
Four decades of Rado and professional tennis
The tennis tournament was also the perfect opportunity for Rado to unveil a new watch to commemorate its active involvement in the sport since 1985. It was a fun trip down memory lane for me. I have been playing tennis since 1984, when I was seven years old. That was the year before Rado became the official timekeeper of the clay-court tournament in Gstaad. During the weekend, I was reminded multiple times that I have become a senior citizen and have been playing and visiting tennis tournaments for a long time. But that also made it the perfect opportunity to recall some amazing memories that are close to my heart.
Juan Manuel Cerúndolo in action during the semi-finals of the Swiss Open in Gstaad
One of my aha experiences was being reminded that the Rado brand was dominantly present on court during professional tennis tournaments. I saw the large timekeeping clocks in the corner of the courts, mostly on a TV screen.
Marco Chiudinelli talking to Martina Hingis and Barbora Krejčíková
Former tennis superstar Martina Hingis reminded me of that fact, with the main difference that she was actively on the courts where these clocks were. It was cool to have the Swiss former world number-one player present at the festivities, along with 2024’s Wimbledon Ladies Champion Barbora Krejčíková, who is a Rado ambassador and wears a Captain Cook while playing. It’s something that I have never gotten used to because I prefer not to wear a watch when I play.
Marco Chiudinelli, Martina Hingis, Barbora Krejčíková, and Adrian Bosshard
The story of the Rado Captain Cook × Tennis LE
Krejčíková was also the first person to be handed the new Rado Captain Cook × Tennis LE during a festive night at the beautiful Wasserngrat restaurant overlooking Gstaad. She received the watch from Rado CEO Adrian Bosshard, who was the gracious host for the weekend.
The brand transformed the mountain restaurant into a small tennis venue with a mini tennis court that Hingis, Krejčíková, Swiss former men’s pro Marco Chiudinelli, and Bosshard could play on after the presentation. During the watch presentation, I loved the focus on creating four distinct looks inspired by the world of tennis with one watch.
Granted, changing straps is easy, but in this case, it is effective. Without feeling gimmicky, the limited-edition Captain Cook also incorporates little design cues that tie it directly to the tennis world. But let’s start with the basics. The new Rado Captain Cook × Tennis LE has a 39mm stainless steel case with a 12mm thickness, a 45.5mm lug-to-lug, and a 300m water resistance rating. As Lex explained, this recently introduced case size is the sweet spot for the Captain Cook, placing it between the 37mm and 42mm models.
A monochromatic canvas to incorporate hints from the tennis world
The case features a polished concave bezel with a gray circular-brushed plasma high-tech ceramic insert. This bezel insert displays an engraved dive scale with white lacquered markers and a white Super-LumiNova triangle to mark 60 minutes.
Lying protected underneath a box-shaped sapphire crystal is a ruthenium-to-white gradient dial. This dial is matched with applied markers filled with white Super-LumiNova. Additionally, you will find a date window at 3 o’clock. On the outside of the indexes, you will see the minute track on the rehaut.
That is also where you will find the first hints of the special tennis elements. The markers at 15, 30, 40, and 60 minutes are the bright yellow of a tennis ball, corresponding to the tennis scoring system. You will see a similar hint of bright yellow used for the central seconds hand.
While the watch’s characteristic rhodium-plated hour and minute hands carry white Super-LumiNova, the seconds hand features the same neon yellow lume. I love that the Rado designers created a mostly monochromatic version of the Captain Cook because it works very well. The small injections of color contrast well, and the subtle nods to the tennis world made me smile when wearing the watch.
Changing the look of the Rado Captain Cook × Tennis LE
The Captain Cook × Tennis LE comes on a super comfortable beads-of-rice bracelet equipped with a slim folding clasp. Not only does it finish the look in style, but it also makes the watch a joy to wear.
But that’s only a quarter of the fun with the watch because you also receive three NATO straps with it. The first is a brick-colored one with a white lining, a reference to the clay courts in Gstaad. The second is a dark green NATO strap that immediately gives off the vibes of a grass court. Lastly, there’s a dark blue strap that links to the predominantly blue hard courts around the world.
These extra straps and the watch come in a gray leather travel pouch. It’s a nice pouch that makes it easy to take your favorite strap anywhere you go. On top of that, Rado’s EasyClip system makes it simple to swap the bracelet for one of the straps.
Seeing the strap colors, you will probably understand why the Rado designers chose a monochromatic presence for the watch. It gives the freedom to match any of the three straps, and the watch looks great fitted with any of them. I usually prefer watches with a bracelet, so that would be my favorite option. However, I would be tempted to switch it up more often because the straps have a meaning that hits close to home for me.
Caliber R763
Hidden behind the specially engraved case back sits the Rado caliber R763. This automatic movement is based on the Swatch Group’s Powermatic 80. It operates at 21,600vph, has 25 jewels, and offers an 80-hour power reserve. Furthermore, the caliber features an antimagnetic Nivachron hairspring, and Rado adjusts in five positions. Setting the time and date is easy thanks to the polished screw-down crown.
Despite the crown’s smooth surface, it is easy to grip thanks to its substantial size and the effective knurling. As you can see, the date numerals are printed in red on a white date disc. At first, you might think it is somewhat strange, but the color corresponds with the dark red Rado logo on the dial.
Additionally, the white date disc helps complete the look of a full set of white hour markers. If the brand had chosen a color-matching gray disc, it wouldn’t have looked as logical. So yes, I understand the choice, although I’m unsure if I would’ve picked red printing. Thankfully, it never stood out negatively when I was wearing the watch.
Wearing the Rado Captain Cook × Tennis LE
Overall, I loved wearing this model. While the smaller 37mm and the larger 42mm models fit my wrist nicely, this new 39mm form is the perfect size for me. I was also impressed by the comfort on the wrist. The relatively slim case and the super supple bracelet make this Captain Cook one of the most comfortable watches I have worn recently. Plus, it’s a proper dive watch, making it even more impressive.
Regarding looks, I quickly fell in love with the Rado Captain Cook × Tennis LE. Of course, this is partially thanks to the story that hits close to home for me. I am always apprehensive about LEs celebrating something close to my heart.
It often ends up in a disappointing gimmicky version of the original watch. But the Rado designers deserve a compliment for the design of this special edition. The integration of the tennis elements is done tastefully and never too “on the nose.” As a result, someone who doesn’t relate to the story can still wear this as a cool, mostly gray version of the Captain Cook.
An ongoing connection to the sport I love
But if you are into tennis, this is a great celebration of Rado’s connection to the sport. As I said, I have plenty of memories of the brand’s presence at tennis tournaments. This watch is a great reminder of Rado’s four decades of history in the sport.
Once reminded about that, I discovered that the history parallels my history in the sport quite a bit. As a result, this special 1,985-piece limited edition is a lot more to me than just the next Rado Captain Cook.
First, it was a great way to highlight the new 39mm size option. I think that it opens up a new potential of buyers looking for a great vintage-inspired dive watch with modern proportions. Additionally, the new mid-size Captain Cook wears like a dream. The slim profile and brilliant beads-of-rice bracelet make it a joy to put on the wrist every time. But if you want to change things up, the three NATO straps offer a great way to alter the watch’s look.
Final thoughts on the Rado Captain Cook × Tennis LE
And for those who love tennis, these straps are more than just a color change. Along with the smartly placed small hints of bright yellow, they represent the diversity of surfaces on which professional players play. All in all, this execution is a great way to celebrate the connection the brand has to tennis without being loud about it.
Lastly, being present at the event to celebrate Rado’s connection to the sport in the company of tennis pros with many great stories also reminded me of my ongoing love for tennis. This made the trip and the watch two of my great highlights of this year.
This 1,985-piece Rado Captain Cook × Tennis LE costs €2,950 and proves that simple, relatable storytelling and lovable design language can hit home with anyone. This watch perfectly connects the brand to its rich history in tennis, a sport that has long been a big part of my life. This new Captain Cook × Tennis LE will always be a great reminder of our shared history.
