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Rado replica: the legend on your wristAnother realization of the Swiss watchmaking tradition is the Rado watches. Their sophisticated design
combined with the amazing precision made them the indisputable leader of the Swiss horology. In our
catalog you can find a Rado replica that will satisfy the most exigent clients like you
are. This watch is fully consistent with the original. The only difference is the price. So order it now
to touch the real legend!
At the end of the XIX century, watchmakers were so adept in reliable and durable mechanisms manufacture that they could operate for decades.
In case of failure, mechanism can always be cleaned or 1-2 worn parts can be replaced.
It was only case that prevented watches from being called "eternal".
Gold and steel does not seem to be very hard and are quickly covered with scratches, so an unsightly metal "gets out" from trite brass case coverage.
Correcting these deficiencies is much more complicated and expensive, than repairing mechanism.
How to make watch keeping its original appearance for a long? Replace traditional materials with something more solid.
Various areas of science and technology use various methods of determining hardness of materials.
Mohs scale (or system) is the simplest one; it is used to determine hardness of stones.
Ten minerals are chosen so that each subsequent is able to scratch the previous one.
Other systems (Brinnel and Vickers methods) determine hardness through parameters of indentation, formed while control object’s impression (a pyramid or a balloon) in the sample surface under a certain load action.
Time drill-machine
In 1962 DiaStar model by RADO Company saw the light.
The world's first non-scratch watch's case was made of hard alloys based on tungsten carbide and titanium - materials used for drill heads manufacture.
Since then, many watch companies released some models of non-scratch watches.
However, only RADO made use of unconventional materials a basis for the marketing policy, and today it is considered a recognized leader in superhard materials watches design and manufacture.
The technology of tungsten carbide or titanium watch manufacture includes several difficult operations.
Powder is pressed into shape under the pressure of 1000 atmospheres.
Details take their final shape during annealing in special furnaces at a temperature of 1450 ° C. Several additional operations and final polishing with diamond powder gives details special brilliance.
Along with the described one, today they increasingly use MIM technology (Metal Injection Moulding - metal powder injection in the form under high pressure), which allows creating details of a very complex form.
Just as in brass watch manufacture, they use both electroplating and vacuum methods to apply decorative coating on details.
Tungsten carbide is very resistant to scratches and wear.
Its negative qualities include big weight.
Besides the already mentioned RADO, other companies also produce tungsten carbide watches, in particular - Candino.
Rado
Stages of manufacturing tungsten carbide part (RADO DiaStar watch)
- 1. Titanium carbide and tungsten powder
- 2. Molded form
- 3. Detail after annealing at 1450 ° C
- 4. Case after polishing with diamond powder
- 5. Prefabricated case
Special additives make it possible to obtain ceramic parts of different colors
Pottery is not for dummies
In the 1980's, RADO engineers drew attention to another material, which had never before been used in watch or jewelry business: high-tech ceramics.
Such fact says about unique properties of ceramics: thermal protection space shuttle elements are made from it; these elements protect ship from burnup while reentry.
Zirconium oxide or titanium carbide powder is raw material for high-tech ceramics production.
It is pressed into moulds and transformed into non-scratch ceramic components at annealing of 1450 ° C.
Diamond dust polishing gives typical gloss to high-tech ceramics.
In some cases (for example, production of RADO company Ceramica models) they use a technology called CIM (Ceramica Injection Moulding, injection of ceramic powder).
During this process, ceramic powder is ground to small granules and then injected into the mould under pressure.
This technology, as well as MIM technology, allows you receiving details of very complex forms.
In contrast to tungsten carbide, ceramics is lightweight and has low thermal conductivity.
Combination of these two qualities creates an amazing comfort for the wrist: the watch seem warm and light as silk.
However, ceramics is more fragile than tungsten carbide, and can be broken at a strong bump.
Without special additives, ceramic parts turn dark. To give details other colors, ceramic powder is mixed with an ultra toner, which has a high melting point.
This allows receiving white, blue, gold and platinum colors.
Today many companies produce ceramic watches.
RADO is an indisputable leader here, you also can find Chanel models and products of many Korean firms.
Works on ceramic watches creation were conducted in the late 80's - early 90's in USSR.
There have been made several experimental specimens, but "Russian RADO" release did not happen: domestic watch industry faced crisis.
Good thing was not in vain: we can see the results of developments' use in familiar "ceramic" faucets.
Hardness
Rare-Earth watches
Lanthanum ceramics is even stronger, than titanium carbide and high-tech ceramics based on zirconium oxide.
Boron carbide serves as a starting material, it is a very hard material, and rare-earth element lanthanum.
In other, manufacturing technique is similar to the previous one: a mixture of lanthanum powder and boron carbide powder is pressed and annealed at a temperature over 1500 ° C.
The result is a chemical compound, which hardness cedes only to diamond, surpassing even sapphire.
RADO, which released lantana watch, referred to them by the name of the material - Lantano.
Ten out of ten
As it is known, diamond is the most solid material on earth.
However, carving watch from a single diamond is rather a mad idea.
So engineers have gone the other way. In 1996, RADO Concept 1, and then RADO Vision 1 saw the light. RADO Vision 1 is a watch that entered the Guinness Book of Records as the hardest watch on earth.
Vision 1 case is made of polycrystalline diamond.
Diamond powder particles are sintered into a single detail of the highest hardness at a temperature of 1500 ° C under the pressure of 50,000 atmospheres.
One watch manufacture requires 4000 diamonds 1 mm in diameter (16.5 carats) each.
Further processing of the resulting product can be made only by diamond tool.
This spring, at Basel exhibition, RADO demonstrated the world's first serial diamond watch - v10k.
Its case is made on a different technology.
Nanocrystalline particles of carbon are transferred to the vapor phase and then deposited to form a homogeneous layer of 100% pure diamond.
The result of a complex process provides an absolute scratch resistance and the watch appearance permanence.
The title v10k a new model RADO received reflects its unusual properties.
Abbreviation v10k means Vickers 10 000: the maximum value in one of hardness systems - the Vickers scale.
Natural diamond has this highest hardness.
It remains to add that all watches, which case is made of solid materials, are equipped with sapphire crystals.
Sapphire exceeds ceramic and tungsten carbide in hardness, ceding only to diamond and lanthanum ceramics.
Eternal values?
How eternal watches from super materials are? Are they really much less prone to scratches than usual watches, made of steel or brass?
Although if you want, you can scratch them too: composition of many synthetic materials used in construction, decoration and furniture manufacturing (e.g., artificial granite) includes particles of substances exceeding sapphire in hardness.
Such materials may well scratch most watches, positioned as non-scratch.
Besides, people have not yet produced watch, made 100% of only solid and durable materials.
Any of them have parts made of most common steel, titanium, and even plastic: a clasp, pins, connecting bracelet links, etc.
If we take inexpensive models of Korean companies, the majority of them have only 3-5 elements of case and bracelet made of tungsten or ceramic, while most watches are made of ordinary stainless steel.
So, we should not expect "eternal life" from these models.
Each super material has its drawbacks. Tungsten carbide is heavy.
Pottery differs with fragility: scratching a bracelet link made of it is very difficult, but it can be broken, while dropping down to a tiled floor.
Diamond is not afraid of water or copper pipes, but is not friendly with fire: fire is contraindicated to pure carbon, which is the diamond.
However, listed pluses and minuses are no crucial for "eternal" watch buyer.
Few of them expect to pass them to children intact.
This purchase gives a man some "chip", providing a feeling of particular exclusivity.
Watches made from different super materials satisfy such "chip" quite well.
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