Rado is a luxury watchmaking company headquartered in Lengnau, Switzerland. It was established in 1917 and got its current name in the 1950s.
The Rado logo has gone through not less than three distinctive modifications. Nevertheless, it has been pretty consistent and has preserved some of its distinctive style features.
What is Rado?
Rado is a Swiss luxury watchmaker, renowned for pioneering high-tech ceramics in watches. The brand blends cutting-edge technology with unique design aesthetics, setting it apart in the luxury watch market.
In the 1950s, the Schlup & Co. watchmaking factory started selling watches under the Rado brand name. The products showcased a logo combining the name of the marque with an emblem. The emblem consisted of half a ring positioned horizontally with an arrow going out of its middle. It could also be described as a rounded “E” with its middle bar replaced by an arrow. Apparently, the design symbolized the face of the watch, with the arrow representing the hands of the watch.
The brand’s name featured a heavy, stout serif type.
Both the emblem and the wordmark adopted a slightly different style. The arrow was now positioned vertically. The traditional arrowhead was replaced by a simpler triangular end. However, the emblem did not grow more laconic as the design team added a white stripe and a red circle in the background.
While the shape of the letters echoed the previous type, they now were taller and lighter. It did not look as if space had been scarce and the designers had had to squeeze them. The word “Switzerland” was added below.
The arrowhead emblem disappeared leaving only the name of the brand. The type remained unchanged.
Depending on the collection, the style of the Rado logo may vary. You can come across watches with the “Arrow ‘E’” emblem tilted to the right. It can go with or without the red circle. Also, you can find the watches where only the name of the brand is placed on the face, while the emblem is not used.