The company was founded in 1917 by the brothers Schlup. 1957, after 40 years as a supplier of watch movements, the firm launched its first collection under the brand name Rado. And only five years later Rado laid, with the legendary oval DiaStar - the world's first scratchproof watch - the foundation stone for an exceptional success story. In 1983 Rado became member of the then formed SMH Group which has recently been renamed to The Swatch Group of Companies of Switzerland, the biggest watch conglomerate in the world.

For Rado, design means the 'outer expression of an inner perfection.' Nevertheless, Rado does not regard itself as a producer of 'design watches', rather as a watch brand with an individualistic design. Unpretentious, clear-lined, modern, innovative, stylistically pure - these are descriptive of the qualities that characterise Rado design. The art of limitation to the essentials dominates the development of every Rado. But even as far as materials are concerned, Rado chooses to go its own way: whilst other brands use conventional materials like gold, brass or steel, Rado goes for materials of the future such as hardmetal, sapphire crystal, high-tech ceramics, high-tech lanthanum or high-tech diamond. And this is always in the endeavour to develop design/material combinations that unite in perfect harmony the double functions of the watch as a modern piece of jewellery and a functional timepiece.

Rado watches are different. Different in form and different in the materials they are made from. Since the beginning, Rado has not only concentrated on developing beautiful watches - the factor of material has always been at the forefront too. The aim has been, and still is, to create watches that are beautiful and that stay beautiful. Watches that are not made from gold, brass or steel, as in conventional watch manufacture, but from innovative materials like hardmetal, sapphire crystal, high-tech ceramics, high-tech diamond or high-tech lanthanum. Materials with much more than just average resistance, a unique brilliance and - of course - the legendary Rado scratchproofness.