To celebrate 60 years of innovative watchmaking, Rado has teamed up with designer Alfredo Häberli for a modern reinterpretation of original DiaStar with a special edition and a new DiaStar Original model in three colored variations.

A History of the DiaStar watch

The first DiaStar of 1962 was the product of a mission to create a watch so durable that it would retain its beauty and functionality for a lifetime. The engineers set out to create a new material that would outlast and outshine all other watches in the industry, and the result was a product they named “Hardmetal.” Hardmetal was an alloy of tungsten carbide that created a high-shine metal that was truly scratchproof for a daily wear watch that would not show wear and tear like the other watches made of materials such as gold or plated brass.

Additionally, they used a sapphire-crystal glass that was almost as hard as diamond, rather than the more traditional mineral or polymer. The distinctive oval shape of the case was a result of the difficulties of machining the Hardmetal alloy without the modern technologies of laser-assisted CNC techniques, but the unique design struck the decision-makers as just the right balance of technical and futuristic. The DiaStar had been born, and the makers had achieved their goal to become the “Master of Materials.”

The concept was so successful that the marketing strategy for the new watch included demonstrations during which people were asked to try their best to damage the watch using knives or nail files. None were ever able to mar the watch, leading to the tagline, “It looks great when you buy it and it will look great for the rest of your life.”

Rado CEO Adrian Bosshard recalls, “For decades, watch connoisseurs have been wearing this watch. I have distinct memories from my childhood about family members and their acquaintances wearing a DiaStar, and today, those watches still look like new. This certainly is one reason for me becoming a watch lover myself and I am proud that the Rado DiaStar Original has a firm place in the bestseller list of many countries around the globe, to this day.”

Over the years that followed, the DiaStar would grow to include various sizes, materials and features, including day/date complication and quartz variants.

Alfredo Häberli

Designer Alfredo Häberli has a remarkable variety of product designs in his portfolio, including furniture, home decor, glassware and futuristic cars. He has collaborated with the giants in many industries, and now he can add watch designer to his long list of accomplishments as watchmaker Rado chose Häberli to create the vision for their 60th Anniversary edition of the iconic DiaStar watch. The result is a timepiece with a radical modern interpretation and a versatile elegance.

Häberli was tasked with creating a vision that reflected the past 60 years of DiaStar design and innovation while continuing the Rado tradition of looking toward the future. The challenges for Häberli centered around adjusting to a canvas that measured in millimeters, but his love of watches prepared him well for the task. It all began on his 18th birthday when his father passed down the watch that he’d received from his own father to mark the same occasion. This first timepiece sparked a lifelong fascination with watch design, and it was a dream come true to be invited to collaborate with Rado.

When asked about his inspiration for the design, Häberli said, “In my work as a designer, I’m always trying to combine tradition and innovation with joy and energy, and the Anniversary Edition is no exception. In essence, the point was to take the features of the original DiaStar and give them a contemporary form.”

Rado DiaStar Original 60-Year Anniversary Edition

At a glance, it’s easy to see the ancestry of the new 60-Year Anniversary Edition of the Rado DiaStar. The distinctive rounded rectangular case is there with a round dial and futuristic aesthetic. Following the traditions set in the ’60s with their first scratchproof designs, the case is crafted from a material Rado has created named Ceramos. The engineers at Rado created this new material to include the hardness of ceramics and the luster and resistance of a metal alloy. This material contains around 90 percent titanium carbide, making it lighter while allowing for a range of colors and shades with the different compositions and proportions of ceramic to metal components.

The design of the dial, however, brings the newest DiaStar into new territory with Alfredo Häberli’s concept of a radically modern look and feel. The hexagonal design of the sapphire crystal reflects the six decades of the DiaStar line and creates a jewel-like exterior while the lume-filled slender hands coordinate beautifully with the sleek, smooth metallic dial. The dot indices are simple and functional as they are filled with Super-LumiNova for low-light conditions. Following tradition, the dial also features a moving anchor symbol in silver on metallic gray just above the Rado logo.

The movement used in the Anniversary Edition is the automatic Rado caliber R764, which features an 80-hour power reserve and a Nivachron hairspring. A date window reveals the movement’s day function at six o’clock and a graphical display slowly reveals the customizable day indicator in gray and Super-LumiNova.

The Anniversary Edition is available with a satin-brushed “Milanese” style bracelet in stainless steel and a gray textile strap with a stainless steel folding clasp, both easily swapped out via the Rado EasyClip system.

DiaStar Original

In addition to the Anniversary Edition, Rado has also released a new Rado DiaStar Original with three variations. The case features a polished Ceramos bezel with the familiar rounded rectangular shape and three different colored dials in blue, dark gray or green. Brushed in two different directions, the dial surface creates a dynamic play of light, creating shades and tones of color in a unique grid pattern.

The dial is simple and clean with slender, lume-filled hands on a field free of indices. Under the central hands is a vertical day-and-date display with a coordinating subdial color, and the Rado moving anchor symbol with a pop of red color for a background. The overall effect is a simple watch that can be dressed up or down very easily for a scratch-resistant timepiece that will be equally at home during a day out or at a dinner party.

When asked about the future of DiaStar, Mr. Bosshard stated, “The DiaStar Original has, for 60 years, been an important pillar in the global Rado collection. I strongly believe that such an iconic product will continue to be a bestseller for the next 60 years.”

Tech Specs

Rado DiaStar Original 60-Year Anniversary Edition

Movement: Self-winding Rado caliber R764 (Powermatic 80 base caliber); 80-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, day and date
Case: 38mm x 45mm x 12.3mm; Ceramos bezel; stainless steel middle and caseback; water-resistant to 100m
Straps: Stainless steel Milanese bracelet and gray textile strap
Price: USD 1,950

Rado DiaStar Original

Movement: Self-winding Rado caliber R764 (Powermatic 80 base caliber); 80-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, day and date
Case: 38mm x 45mm x 12.1mm; Ceramos bezel; stainless steel middle and caseback; water-resistant to 100m
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price: USD 1,450