Wear futurism on your wrist: Rado DiaStar Original x Tej Chauhan Special Edition

The Rado brand has always been about bold solutions, innovative materials and a passion for revolutionary design. The DiaStar Original, introduced in 1962, became known as the world’s first truly scratch-resistant watch and has since held an iconic place in the history of Swiss watchmaking. More than six decades later, Rado is now reinterpreting this legendary model in a special collaboration. This is the second time that British industrial designer Tej Chauhan has dreamt up his futuristic industrial vision for a Rado watch. Let’s see the result!

Tej Chauhan

Much of Tej Chauhan's work has been defined by the Emotive Industrial Design movement, in which he creates objects that evoke emotional responses from his target audience through the conscious combination of form, color and materials. He has previously worked as a designer for Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Huawei, Ikea, Lexus and British Airways, winning numerous prestigious awards for his work. For Chauhan, the essence of design lies in connecting with people, providing them with a positive experience and evoking real, intense emotions.

ej Chauhan with two watches he designed on his wrist

When creating the Rado DiaStar Original X Tej Chauhan, Chauhan’s task was to update this iconic watch while respecting its original character. The designer combined his futuristic vision with Rado’s traditional values: innovative materials and Swiss precision. This watch is Rado’s vision of the future, designed to show the world what quality the brand stands for and what we can expect from them in the future.

Rado DiaStar Original X Tej Chauhan Special Edition dial side, model number: R12165155

The most striking element of the watch is undoubtedly the cushion-shaped case made of Ceramos™ material and stainless steel, which is decorated with a yellow gold-colored PVD coating. Ceramos combines the scratch resistance and light weight of functional ceramics with the shiny appearance of metals. Year after year, Rado surprises the world of watchmaking by developing stronger, lighter, more useful materials, so it is no wonder that the Swiss brand bears the nickname master of materials. The matte black dial features contrasting silver and blue minute markers and indexes, while the hour and minute hands are coated with white Super-LumiNova®. The bright neon yellow color of the seconds hand is another exciting detail, but it is also important to mention the date window, which can be found at 3 o'clock. What is interesting about the date window is that we can see the days of the week in Tej Chauhan's own font and in a variety of colors.

The dial of the Rado DiaStar Original X Tej Chauhan watch, it is worth noting the characteristic Rado anchor motif on the crown, model number: R12165155

The dial is covered by a concave sapphire crystal glass, which has an anti-reflective coating on the inner surface. The back of the watch is made of dark gray PVD-coated stainless steel and is engraved with SPECIAL EDITION TEJ CHAUHAN.

Rado DiaStar Original X Tej Chauhan watch back, model number: R12165155

The heart of the model is the Rado R764 Caliber automatic movement. The movement provides an 80-hour power reserve and uses a Nivachron™ hairspring. This technical detail uses a titanium alloy as a base material and is therefore more resistant, shock-resistant, and less expands when exposed to heat and is less susceptible to magnetization. The watch is water-resistant to 100 meters, so we can enjoy this watch for a long time and without worries in everyday life.

Rado DiaStar Original X Tej Chauhan watch, model number: R12165155

The watch strap is also unusual: the cushion shape made of gray rubber is unconventional and futuristic. The wearer can fasten the watch with a dark gray PVD-coated stainless steel buckle, which also features gold-colored decorations found on the watch case. The watch's buckle and push buttons were also designed by Tej Chauhan.

Rado DiaStar Original X Tej Chauhan watch with a remarkable design on a rubber strap, model number: R12165155

Tej Chauhan found working with the Rado team to be a special experience: working on the intricate details, such as adjusting the thickness of the paint pigments on the watch hands to micron precision, was a challenge, but the end result was a watch that was not only a functional tool, but also an accessory that creates an emotional connection with its wearer.

The Rado DiaStar Original X Tej Chauhan is for those who appreciate iconic design; who are not afraid to stand out from the crowd with a bold watch design, and who value modernity and an emotional connection to their personal belongings.

Hear how Tej Chauhan thinks about the method of designing watches and how he created this special watch!