The Rado Captain Cook Over-Pole Black and Gold is Ready for Luxury Travel

Ok. I’ll say it. I am in love. If there’s anything in watchmaking that really gets me right to the core it’s a neo-retro timepiece that with a single look transports me back to the 1920s and the golden age of luxury travel. If you let me strap the new Rado Captain Cook Over-Pole Black and Gold to my wrist I would happily board the Titanic even knowing how it ends. Or in aviation, later in the 20^th century, get me a ticket on Concorde. Whatever the mode of transportation, I don’t mind, just let me travel in style and make use of this world timer limited edition.

This watch is essentially a revamp and recolour of the 2022 Captain Cook Over-Pole limited edition, trading the cool fumé dial and arctic vibe of that piece for pure luxury. The new watch measures a larger 39mm in diameter giving it a bigger presence on the wrist and the stainless steel case is now coated with yellow gold PVD. Paired with a black ceramic world time bezel, it drips with charisma.

Aesthetically it reminds me a little of the gold plated Zodiac Super Sea Wolf, a watch that I consider a guilty pleasure because I really like it even though I struggle with the principle of a gold dive watch. I have no guilt however about a golden worldtimer. Especially when paired with a beautifully restrained white dial beneath the box sapphire glass, with gold PVD hour markers and delicate 24-hour numerals. The hour markers are also curved, which creates the illusion of having a curved dial like a vintage Omega Pie Pan. It all comes together really well to create the luxe vibe of the piece.

Another part of that aesthetic comes from the strap and bracelet options. It’s presented on either a beads of rice style bracelet, also in gold PVD, or a vintage style brown leather strap. Both work really well on the watch. The bracelet turns up the ostentation by another degree and wouldn’t look out of place in the tea car of the Orient Express while the leather strap gives the watch a far more practical air. I could imagine Indiana Jones trading out his gold-coloured Hamilton Boulton for one of these on strap.

Inside the Rado Captain Cook Over-Pole Black and Gold is the R862 Worldtimer movement, a manual calibre with an 80-hour power reserve. It’s based on the Swatch Group’s signature movement, the Powermatic 80, a well respected movement that combines good specs with a reasonable price point.

Just like the 2022 Over-Pole, the Rado Captain Cook Over-Pole Black and Gold is a limited edition of 1,962 pieces. That’s a reference to the debut year of the Captain Cook collection. It’s priced at £2,650, which is a touch more than the 2022 version but then this one does have a yellow gold PVD coating to make up for the difference. Certainly, the nicest Rado of 2025 so far if not the entirety of the past 12 months.

More details at Rado.

​Oracle Time 

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