Case
Rado material families and how they differ
High confidenceRado's material names cover four genuinely different compositions, and the differences are not cosmetic — they change which physical tests are valid. Recorded as a component in its own right because the catalog's material checks are only sound once the specific material is known, and the marketing names do not make that obvious.
Part reference
- Brand
- Rado
- Material
- High-tech ceramic, plasma high-tech ceramic, Ceramos and hardmetal
Documented variations
Classification
FactoryDocumented as shipped from the factory for this reference and period.PeriodNot original to this watch, but correct for its production period.ServiceFitted by the manufacturer's own service network. Not a defect.AftermarketThird-party part. Affects originality, not authenticity.ModifiedGenuine parts in a configuration the factory did not sell. Affects originality and value, not authenticity.CounterfeitDeceptive reproduction intended to pass as genuine.UnknownEvidence on file does not settle the question.High-tech ceramic — sintered, non-metallic
FactoryHigh confidenceWhole production
The baseline. Sintered engineering ceramic, coloured through, light for its bulk, poor thermal conductor. All three standard tests — cold in the hand, light for size, does not scratch — apply in full.
Plasma high-tech ceramic — looks metallic, IS ceramic
FactoryHigh confidenceWhole production
The same high-tech ceramic enriched with carbon in a plasma process, which gives it a metallic lustre without making it metal. This is the important exception in Rado's range: the case LOOKS like brushed metal and behaves thermally like ceramic, so an examiner who reasons from appearance will expect warmth and find cold. That is correct. Reading a metallic-looking Rado that stays cold as a contradiction — or as coated steel — inverts the truth.
Ceramos — a cermet, and genuinely part metal
FactoryHigh confidenceWhole production
A ceramic-metal composite, roughly 90 per cent titanium carbide with a metallic binder alloy — a development of hardmetal offering better scratch resistance at significantly lower weight. Because it really does contain metal, the thermal test is WEAKER here than on pure ceramic and its result should not be read as strictly. Weight is the more useful discriminator: Ceramos is notably lighter than hardmetal.
Hardmetal — tungsten carbide, very dense
FactoryHigh confidenceWhole production
Tungsten carbide in a metal binder, roughly twice the density of steel. The weight test is at its most decisive here, and this is the material for which the classic DiaStar checks were written.
Documented on these references
No reference fitments are documented for this part yet.
Provenance of this record
Sources & Evidence
Rado — collection specifications and material documentation
Rado (Swatch Group)
- Accessed
- 2026-08-19
Cited for
Technical literature on engineering ceramics and cemented carbides
Materials-science and industrial technical literature
- Accessed
- 2026-08-19
Cited for
Last verified: Not yet reviewed