Of the differences, you’ll notice the use of modern ceramic in the bezel compared to what was likely aluminum or Bakelite in the model from the past the lack of a rectangular magnifying glass for the date indicator (seen on the vintage model, below) and the slight enlargement of the hands. More subtly, the general case shape is very similar to the original, and the slim, silver outer minute ring persists in both designs. Of the many similarities between the vintage and modern watches, you’ll notice the inward-facing bezel, sunburst dial with printed hour markers and “Captain Cook” script toward the 6 o’clock position, and the red-accented date window at the 3 o’clock. The vintage re-issue will be limited to 1,962 pieces, and is listed by the brand at $1,900. The 100-meter water resistant piece is powered by the automatic ETA Caliber C07.611, which holds an impressive 80-hour power reserve through a slowed frequency (3 Hz down, from the 4 Hz of the unmodified base movement, the ETA 2824-2, whose power reserve is 42 hours). At the 3 o’clock position is a red-accented date window, and toward the center of the dial is the broad-arrow hour hand, sword-style minute pointer, and an almost vintage-Omega-style seconds hand. Its curved sunburst gray/brown dial is surrounded by an outer silver minute track, with printed faux-patina-accented trapezoidal and rectangular hour markers. The vintage-inspired piece features an outer-toothed, ceramic rotating bezel with markings at each hour marker, and a simple push/pull crown on its right side. The modern watch we are covering today is a steel, 37-mm piece produced as a vintage re-issue, and it comes alongside a 45-mm modern interpretation and another 37-mm version geared to the women’s market. The piece in its historical debut did not garner an incredible amount of attention, yet today the brand has revived it as part of its modern Hyperchrome collection - once again, as an anomaly in its mainly quartz dress-watch lineup - and this time it is receiving praise far and wide. The piece was named after the 18 th century British naval explorer Captain James Cook, and among its unique traits was an inward-leaning outer bezel, a curved gray dial, a square magnifying glass for the date window, and an enlarged Rado anchor logo. The original watch (pictured above), produced in relatively small quantities from 1962 to 1968, looked to get the most out of on the growing trend of hobby diving during that period, and stood within the already-modernist Rado collection as one of its few sporty options. This is, of course, not to undercut the very cool vintage style of the watch we’re covering today, the Rado Hyperchrome Captain Cook. The point is that we seem to be in something of a “reconstructive” period in watch history, looking back favorably on the past through our contemporary goggles, and as a result, the market has started to absorb modern re-creations even of original pieces that were not exactly famous at the time. Whether this is in the best long-term interest for the creative health of watch design is neither here nor there. Secondly, writers who cover this industry - such as myself- tend to be collectors or at least watch fans themselves, who naturally lean toward covering what they like - which often these days happens to be the vintage-inspired. Most importantly, readers and consumers are leaning towards this trend in the market, so naturally both brands and publications are looking to capitalize on the trend by producing watches, and the subsequent articles on these watches, to cater to the demand. The reason for this, I believe, is twofold. As the trend toward vintage-inspired watches continues, brands have come to the realization that producing a vintage-inspired piece will almost always guarantee that piece press coverage.
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