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- Rado has unveiled the Captain Cook x Cameron Green Limited Edition, a 459-piece release celebrating the Australian all-rounder’s status as the 459th male player to represent Australia in Test cricket.
- The watch pairs a green gradient dial inspired by a cricket pitch with a yellow gold-coloured PVD bezel, a green high-tech ceramic insert, and subtle red accents nodding to the cricket ball.
- It runs on the R763 automatic with an 80-hour power reserve and ships with a stainless-steel bracelet plus two extra straps.
Rado’s new collaboration with Australia’s cricket star Cameron Green might be the most Aussie-coded watch ever made. The release sees the Swiss watchmaker throw subtlety to the wind and don its baggy green with all the gusto of a true cricket tragic. With the caveat that I haven’t yet seen it in the flesh, I have to say that I think I love it.
If you’re going to make a watch celebrating Australian cricket, it had better be something I can imagine Bob Hawke or Richie Benaud throwing on with a mischievous glint in their eye. In that regard, this is a case of mission accomplished, Rado.
Limited to 459 pieces, the Rado Captain Cook x Cameron Green Limited Edition marks Green’s place as the 459th male player to represent Australia in Test cricket. Green claims the idea was to bring elements of the game to a watch that feels personal and authentic. One glance at this AUD$4,700 release reveals he and the Swiss watchmaker have hit it for six.
Rado Captain Cook x Cameron Green Limited Edition Key Specs:
- Reference: R32138318
- Case: Stainless steel
- Dimensions: 42.0 x 48.6 x 12.3 mm
- Bezel: Yellow gold-coloured PVD-coated steel with green high-tech ceramic insert
- Water resistance: 300 metres
- Dial: Green gradient sunray
- Movement: Rado calibre R763, automatic
- Power reserve: 80 hours
- Strap: Bi-colour rice-grain bracelet with EasyClip, plus green and gold NATO-style textile strap and black rubber strap
- Limited edition: 459 pieces
- Price: AUD$4,700
A Wicket-Worthy Dial
The first thing that catches the eye here is the dial’s homage to a bird’s-eye view of a cricket pitch. It fades from a vivid, almost fluorescent centre to deep green at the edges. I can’t imagine a better way to check the time at the MCG during the Boxing Day Test.
Details include three yellow gold-coloured dots that evoke wicket stumps just below the 12 o’clock marker, while the minute track on the flange takes its cues from the stitching on a cricket ball. Rado further references the ball via its moving anchor symbol’s placement upon a red backplate, and the seconds hand’s red Super-LumiNova tip.
While the presence of this red hue could easily have overwhelmed the green and gold, Rado has deployed it just enough. This restraint keeps the colour scheme very much aligned to Australian cricket rather than veering into Christmas-adjacent territory.
Further, applied indices and hands in a yellow gold-coloured finish are filled with Super-LumiNova, while a box-shaped sapphire crystal adds a dash of vintage-instrument charm. To me, this calls to mind a bygone cricketing era defined by big moustaches and bigger personalities.
Case and Bezel
At 42 mm in diameter and 12.3 mm thick, the case sits squarely in classic Captain Cook territory. They’re also more than reasonable dimensions for a watch with 300 metres of water resistance.
Further, Rado has topped its polished stainless steel case with a rotating bezel constructed using yellow gold-coloured PVD-coated steel. This houses a polished green high-tech ceramic insert with gold-toned numerals and markers. The ceramic insert is a subtle nod to Rado’s self-styled “Master of Materials” identity, which saw the brand introduce high-tech ceramic into serial production back in 1986 following years of intensive research. Anyway, a scratch-resistant bezel is a handy thing to have included on a watch you actually plan to wear.
Speaking of personalities, this watch pays tribute to one of our cricketing heroes of the moment via its screw-down display caseback engraved with Green’s signature and the words “LIMITED EDITION, ONE OUT OF 459”.
R763 Movement
Inside, Rado’s calibre R763 powers Green’s signature timepiece. This automatic movement with 25 jewels runs the watch’s three hands and date window at 3 o’clock.
The movement boasts an antimagnetic Nivachron hairspring, and it’s adjusted in five positions for enhanced accuracy. Plus, the 80-hour power reserve means you could forget to take it on your trip to Melbourne for the Test and find it still ticking when you return home.
A Bracelet-and-Strap Hat Trick
Much like Green’s status as an all-rounder, the versatility that comes with three different bracelets/straps is one of this watch’s strengths. The main bracelet is a bi-colour, rice-grain style, with brushed stainless-steel outer links and polished yellow gold-coloured PVD-coated middle links.
The other options are a green-and-gold NATO-style textile strap (this would be my personal choice) and a black rubber option. Further, Rado’s EasyClip system makes swapping between these three options a breeze.
Pricing and Availability
Rado’s Captain Cook x Cameron Green Limited Edition is limited to 459 pieces. Priced at AUD$4,700, you can reserve yours now via the link below.
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