The Rado DiaStar Original x Tej Chauhan Special Edition.
Tej Chauhan has built a career around revisiting past visions of the future.
After the success of his first collaboration with Rado, he has now returned to further explore the brand’s models through his unique 1960s and ’70s-era science fiction lens.
Sure, the bold, offbeat “retrofuturism” of the new Rado DiaStar Original x Tej Chauhan Special Edition may not be for everyone.
However, its playfulness, creativity and sheer vintage value makes this a fun and compelling collector’s choice.
The watch’s 38mm-wide cushion case design is shared with the rest of the DiaStar line.
What’s apparent is how the Tej Chauhan Special Edition diverges from some of its more reserved siblings, as seen from its case material.
The upper half of the case is in gold PVD-coated Ceramos while the lower half is in matching gold PVD steel.
The keyhole-style sapphire caseback showcases a sliver of the automatic movement.
If you didn’t already know, Ceramos offers incredible lustre and scratch resistance, with a surface hardness nearly nine times that of conventional stainless steel.
The gold edge of the dial boldly stands in contrast to the light grey pillow-shaped rubber strap.
Like the rest of the DiaStar Original line, the signed pillbox crown is recessed for a cleaner silhouette.
And Rado opts for a keyhole-style sapphire caseback, showcasing just a sliver of the automatic movement, thus giving more room to a unique visible Tej Chauhuan engraving.
Similar to the standard DiaStar Original, this model offers 100m of water-resistance.
The light grey pillow-shaped rubber strap is in stark contrast to the watch’s face.
On the dial, similar to the previous Tej Chauhan collaboration, the scale from 9 o’clock to 12 o’clock is rendered in vivid cyan, meant to symbolise the most productive hours of a day.
Meanwhile, the date (beside the day window) is in deep, vibrant red and uses an equally retro-futuristic ’70s computerised typeface to maximise the on-wrist funk factor.
Finally, the Rado DiaStar Original x Tej Chauhan Special Edition is powered by the ETA 2824-based R764 automatic movement.
This is a heavily modernised version of the once-ubiquitous ETA platform, complete with a massive 80-hour power reserve.
