Rado Horse Wristwatch History
The Rado watch company was founded in 1917 under the name Schlup & Co. By the end of World War 2 they had become one of the largest watch movement producers in the world. The horse collection of watches (which includes the Green, Silver, Gold, Purple and Sapphire Horses) was one of the first to be released under the Rado name, and the first to to be advertised as water resistant. This model also introduced the anchor symbol on the dial, releasing hundreds of variations from manual to automatic, non-date to day-date, and different sizes and movements.
From 1957 to 1962 Rado was modestly successful in South America and the Far East. Paul Lüthi of Rado apparently spent time in Asia, and this possibly inspired the ”Horse” models. This line of watches featured a 120 meter water resistance rating, and a unique 1/4 turn unlocking case back. For more information on Rado’s history, the current company’s website has a very extensive section at History of Rado.
Servicing the Rado
This Rado model housed a fine quality 17 jewel automatic date movement that ran well after service. The movement was completely disassembled and cleaned, oiled, and timed. . If you need your Rado (or an other mechanical watch serviced) please visit my services page.
