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Rado

Rado Hyperchrome 44 mm Mother-of-pearl 18k

Photography on request

Front view

Front view

Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.

Case-back view

Case-back view

Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.

Movement

Movement

Calibre with its finishing and decoration.

On the wrist

On the wrist

Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.

Rado · Hyperchrome

Rado Hyperchrome 44 mm Mother-of-pearl 18k

Reference 56691OR.93

Reference at a glance

Brand
Rado
Collection
Hyperchrome
Model
Rado Hyperchrome 44 mm Mother-of-pearl 18k
Reference number
56691OR.93
Year / era
2012 · 2010s — modern production
Complication
Time and date
Movement
Automatic Powermatic 80
Case material
18k white gold
Dial type
Mother-of-pearl
Strap / bracelet
Integrated steel bracelet
Water resistance
100 m
Limited-edition status
Regular production, not a limited edition
Compare this reference

Case, dial & bracelet

Case dimensions
44 mm
Case thickness
12.6 mm
Case material
18k white gold
Bezel
Emerald-set
Crystal
Sapphire with internal AR treatment
Dial
Mother-of-pearl
Hands
Skeletonised sword hands, white luminescent
Indexes
Diamond-set hour markers
Bracelet / strap
Integrated steel bracelet
Clasp / buckle
Titanium deployant clasp
Water resistance
100 m

Movement

Movement / calibre
Calibre 44B — Automatic Powermatic 80
Movement type
High-frequency automatic
Frequency
25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
Power reserve
70 hours
Number of jewels
37 jewels
Complications
Time and date
Functions
Flying tourbillon, power reserve
Watchmaker
Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.

Production & market

Production period
2012 – 2020
Limited-edition quantity
Not applicable
Current market information
Values have stabilised after the 2022 correction; condition and box-and-papers drive the premium.

Designer

Marc Newson

Marc Newson is an Australian industrial designer whose work spans Qantas cabins, Apple hardware and Jaeger-LeCoultre's Atmos clocks; his watch design reduces the object to pure geometry and legibility.

Historical significance

Rado Hyperchrome 44 mm Mother-of-pearl 18k sits within Rado's Hyperchrome line, introduced in 2012. It carries the house codes established since 1917 — 18k white gold case, mother-of-pearl dial and automatic powermatic 80 — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.

Interesting facts

  • Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
  • The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
  • The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
RA

The House

Rado

Brand facts

Founding year
1917
Founder
Fritz, Ernst & Werner Schlup
Headquarters
Switzerland
Tier
Affordable & Tool Watches
Major collections
Captain Cook, DiaStar, True Square, Florence, Hyperchrome
Signature technologies
Shock-absorbing movement mounting · Hand-applied guilloché dials · Composite and ceramic case materials
Famous movements
Automatic COSC chronometer · Quartz · Automatic Powermatic 80 · Automatic, 38-hour reserve
Notable watches
Rado Captain Cook 43 mm Meteorite 18k (1952) · Rado Captain Cook 40 mm Black 18k (1971) · Rado Captain Cook 37 mm Blue Sapphire (2003) · Rado Captain Cook 40 mm Salmon Ceramic (1957)

Brand history

Rado has spent more than 109 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Captain Cook, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.

Fritz, Ernst & Werner Schlup established Rado in 1917, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Rado calibre produced today.

Historical milestones

  1. 1917

    Fritz, Ernst & Werner Schlup founds Rado in Switzerland.

  2. 1969

    The quartz era forces Rado to redefine mechanical watchmaking.

  3. 1990

    Rado enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.

  4. 2024

    Rado continues to produce Captain Cook, DiaStar, True Square and other icons in limited numbers.

More Hyperchrome