Grand Slam: Rado Celebrates 40 Years in Tennis with a Limited-Edition Captain Cook
To celebrate four decades of involvement in the world of tennis, Rado releases a special edition of its fan-favorite Captain Cook diver's watch. The Rado x Tennis Limited Edition is the latest in a series of tennis-inspired releases and pays tribute to the sport with subtle design cues and a versatile, vintage-meets-modern style. The limitation of 1,985 pieces is a subtle nod to the year Rado first became involved with professional tennis.
Rado has been a familiar name in tennis since 1985, starting with the Swiss Open in Gstaad. Over the years, its presence grew to include major events in cities like Toronto, Johannesburg, and Melbourne. By the mid-90s, Rado had become the Official Watch of the ATP Tour and the timekeeping partner for all Davis Cup matches, positioning itself among the sport's leading brands.
Beyond tournaments, Rado built strong ties with top players of the era— including Alex Corretja, Todd Martin, MaliVai Washington, Tommy Haas, and Greg Rusedski— who all reached the ATP top 10 as part of the Rado Player Team. Today, Rado’s ambassadors include stars like Ash Barty, Barbora Krejčíková, Cameron Norrie, JJ Wolf.
So it seems only fitting to celebrate this milestone anniversary with a special release. Sized at 39mm, the Rado x Tennis Limited Edition offers broad appeal across wrist sizes. The stainless steel case features fully polished surfaces, lending a retro aesthetic, while a brushed insert made of Rado’s signature plasma high-tech ceramic adds contemporary flair to the bezel. The boxed sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, and 300 meters of water resistance reinforce the watch’s dive-ready credentials, while maintaining a sleek 12mm profile.
At the heart of the watch is a smoky, deep-dish dial that transitions from white at the center to a rich ruthenium tone at the edge. Bold vintage-style hands and hour markers ensure legibility, and keen-eyed tennis fans will appreciate the hidden nods to the sport: tennis ball yellow lume plots mark 15, 30, and 40 minutes, with an additional plot at 12 o’clock symbolizing “game.” Even the seconds hand features a yellow lume tip, continuing the thematic details.
Flip the watch over and you’ll find an embossed case back showcasing the three Grand Slam court surfaces—clay, grass, and hard. In a clever move, Rado includes three NATO-style straps in the same trio of court colors: red, green, and blue in addition to the beads-of-rice bracelet.
The Rado x Tennis Limited Edition is powered by Rado's Caliber R763, an automatic movement offering an impressive 80-hour power reserve and equipped with a Nivachron anti-magnetic hairspring.
Pricing is marked at $2,800.
To learn more, visit Rado, here.
