News

Oct 22, 2023

RADO Unveils Its 2023 Novelties During a Beachfront Celebration

The launch, which centered around the theme of the ‘Whispers of Dunes and

The launch, which centered around the theme of the ‘Whispers of Dunes and Dreams,’ took place at the spacious beachfront of the Ana Anan Resort & Villas in Pattaya, and was attended by members of the media, friends of the brand, and several celebrities including Grace Karnklao Duaysienklao, Paula Taylor, Woonsen Virithipa Pakdeeprasong, and Diana Jongjintanakarn.

On the morning of May 10, I gathered alongside other invitees in central Bangkok to board RADO's fleet of VIP buses that would shuttle us down to the popular beach town of Pattaya for an exclusive unveiling of the watch brand's 2023 novelties. Each bus was fitted with reclining chairs, large windows, and interiors that embodied the inside of a private jet, the first glimpse we all had of the glamour that would await us at the beachside celebration.

Upon arriving at the Ana Anan Resort & Villas in Pattaya, a boutique five-star property that houses a mix of spacious guestrooms and pool villas, we were invited to sit down for a lunch of traditional Thai fare before checking into our accommodations to unwind ahead of the evening's festivities.

During the afternoon, we were invited to join a ‘Scent of Dreams’ workshop to craft our own aroma diffusers, an activity that introduced us to the importance of the senses. A desire to please the senses forms the foundation for how all RADO watches are crafted, as the watch brand puts great emphasis on facets such as touch and texture in order to retain its reputation as the watchmaking world's ‘Master of Materials.’

It was soon time to make our way down to the beachfront for the unveiling. The event centered around the theme of the ‘Whispers of Dunes and Dreams,’ which alluded to concepts of movement and freedom, as sand dunes, as towering as they may be, are always in a state of flux.

As several of RADO's 2023 timepieces are exciting, reimagined iterations of past signature watches, the theme ties in with these new novelties as they represent constant motion and a constant change through time.

Upon discovering the theme, the setting of the event became even more fitting as it featured a breezy beachfront dinner set up on Thailand's very own ‘sand dunes,’ while an orange and purple-hued sunset bathed the entire event in a golden glow before nightfall.

Before being seated at the long tables for dinner, guests were encouraged to take photos against the dreamy sunset and to browse through RADO's new timepieces, many of which were dominated by shades of gold, ocher, brown, and gun metal in line with the overarching desert-inspired theme.

Some of the watches on display included the new RADO Centrix, which embodies the wind-swept desert sands as a result of its rounded edges, soft contours on both sides of the sapphire glass, and its unique sunray pattern, which adds even more depth to an already enticing dial.

Available in RADO Centrix White and RADO Centrix Brown, both are paired with polished rose gold and high-tech ceramic links for a modern edge. For added luxe, the watch is also available in a Centrix Diamond iteration, which features 12 sparkling diamond hour markers.

Another standout timepiece was the Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton, which allows for a clear view of the innovative R808 movement that powers it. Another watch that ties in with the vision of ‘constant motion’, one of the most attractive things about the timepiece is the visually intriguing geometric contrasts of its moving parts.

The watch draws upon last year's Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic Skeleton Limited Edition and features a gunmetal grey and rose gold colour scheme. It boasts a rose gold PVD-coated bezel and high-tech ceramic case, which is created via a process that sees already sintered ceramic pieces heated to over 20,000 degrees Celsius. The result is a material that is not only extremely resilient, but one that has a luxe, cold, and tactile feel.

Other watches that were showcased included new grey, black, and white variations of the True Thinline x Great Gardens of the World series inspired by three distinct plant species, as well as the modern high-tech ceramic True Square Thinline x Les Couleurs Le Corbusier that gets its name from Le Corbusier's legendary Architectural Polychromy colour theory.

The True Square Skeleton was also on display. Its urban-inspired design allows for a glimpse of its unique skeletonised moving parts. The event also showcased variations of the DiaStar. Although it debuted in 1962, it continues to form a substantial part of RADO's modern watch DNA.

After browsing through the collection, we all took our seats for dinner during which we enjoyed a few remarks from Rico Steiner, RADO's Vice President – Marketing International, and René Furler, Head of Retail International and Regional Brand Manager, about the launch. They were then joined onstage by Kris Bhimayothin, Country Manager of Swatch Group Thailand, and Teeranate Pattarawutipong, Brand Manager of RADO Thailand.

René expressed his excitement about RADO's continuous growth in the Asian watch market, while Rico shared similar sentiments, divulging details about the top-tier materials that have been utilised in each model, and the watch brand's exciting new campaigns, before expressing his gratitude to the evening's guests for joining the celebrations.

For more information about RADO, click here.

Ashima is a Senior Writer for Prestige Online and her role involves writing and curating engaging content for Prestige Thailand's digital portals. Before joining Burda, Ashima spent five years working in Thailand's dynamic media industry as a digital editor and lifestyle journalist. Outside of the office, Ashima is a professional DJ and proud dog mum to a Labrador named Luna. She also enjoys painting, watching films and true crime documentaries, listening to podcasts, and running.