RADO NCC 404 & 101

Jenama Rado mengingatkan aku kepada seorang sahabat dengan nick name King of Rado.Minatnya terhadap Rado tidak boleh dipertikaikan. Tetapi aku bukanlah peminat Rado, tapi akhirnya aku membeli juga seketul dua  jenama ini. Tapi yang aku beli adalah model yang jarang aku lihat.

Sejarah Rado jarang kedapatan di internet. Kalau ada pun ringkas sahaja. Sejarahnya bermula pada tahun 1917  apabila Schlup bersaudara iaitu, Fritz, Ernst and Werner yang menamakan syarikat mereka sebagai Schlup & Co. dan berpusat di Lengnau, Switzerland terlibat dalam bisnes jam. Mereka mengkhusus dalam pengeluaran movement jam sahaja. Sehinggalah pada tahun1957 apabila Schlup & Co. dibawah pengurusan baru yang mula mengeluarkan jam dengan jenama sendiri iaitu Rado ( juga menukar nama syarikat kepada Rado) untuk meneruskan survival syarikat. Pengeluaran movement jam semakin mencabar dengan kehadiran syarikat yang lebih besar iaitu Ebauches S.A. yang ditubuhkan pada tahun 1926.

Orang yang bertangungjawab mengubah haluan dan membawa Rado dunia horology ialah Paul Luthi iaitu seorang pemuda yang mengahwini salah seorang ahli keluarga Schlup.

Kini Rado berada di bawah payung Swatch Group sebagaimana jenama Omega, Longines, Mido, Tissot, Hamilton dan Swatch. jam-jam Rado kini mengunakan movement Eta, yang mana Eta juga adalah dipayungi oleh Swatch Group.

RADO NCC404 & Parker 21

Petikan daripada Wikipedia

In 1968, Rado became part of the ASUAG, which merged 1983 with the SSIH to the SMH group, renamed in 1998 as the Swatch Group....

Allgemeine Schweizerische Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG)  is the former biggest Swiss Watch Industry Group that had been created with the assistance of the Swiss Government and the Swiss Banks, as an answer to the crisis called upon by the Big Depression, in 1931.

1983, « ASUAG » and (SSIH), then the second most important holding company with Omega and Tissot were forced by the Swiss Banks to merge into Société de Microélectronique et d'Horlogerie (SMH), which now has been renamed Swatch Group.^[1] ASUAG grouped most of the movement parts & Ebauches manufacturers on one side, and through its sub holding General Watch Co (GWC); many watch brands on the other side. Most of those companies are still being active, integrated into the new conglomerate.

During the years of crisis, since 1978 until 1991, Dr. Ernst Thomke was at the helm of the restructurings, firstly as CEO of ETA SA, then Ebauches SA, including a mandate as Administrator of ASUAG, and became SMH's first CEO in 1983, position that he held until 1991. At that time newly elected President and main shareholder Nicolas G. Hayek had already become the only person of reference..

Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogère was the second most important Swiss Watch Group, holding Omega and Tissot.

It was created on February 24, 1930 in Geneva by Tissot et Omega, to be joined as from 1932 by Lemania Watch Co & A. Lugrin Co in L'Orient (Vallée de Joux) specialized in the manufacture of horological complications, enabling Omega to obtain the timing of the Summer Olympic Games 1932 in Los Angeles. This was an important step for the development of Omega’s important Sports’ Watches segment with exclusive chronographs, such as the famous Omega Speedmaster Professional Moon watch.

The merger agreement foresaw Omega’s concentration on the luxury watch segment, whereas Tissot's mission was to concentrate on the medium price range segment.

In 1983, SSIH and the Allgemeine Gesellschaft der schweizerischen Uhrenindustrie AG (ASUAG) the other most important Swiss Watch Group, were forced by their Swiss Banks to merge into a new holding company named Société de Microélectronique et d'Horlogerie (SMH), which has now been renamed the Swatch Group. ^[1]

Dr Ernst Thomke was its first CEO until 1991. He instigated a total overhaul of both Omega and Tissot line of products, positioning both brands successfully back into the world markets.