Description: This is a thin and elegant unisex dress watch made by Rado around the mid-1970s, according to Japanese catalogue images from 1975, one of which is reproduced below. This Silverlepor model boasts an uncommon array of features not found on many Rado watches. First of these is a very thin case made of sterling silver. The second interesting feature is the elegant white dial with printed Roman numerals. At the time this watch was made, Rado watches commonly used stainless steel cases—many with scratchproof tungsten-carbide bezels—and bold, funky dials with 3-D markers. Relatively few mechanical Rado watches were produced with simple dials and cases made of precious metal.

The third interesting feature of this watch is the 2.5mm-thick hand-wound movement supplied by Longines. Longines caliber L847 is a very thin and high quality movement. Rado had also used Peseux (now ETA) caliber 7001 in some of their hand-wound dress watches of this period; the reason this high-grade Longines movement was chosen for this model is unknown. No official documentation of cooperative efforts between the two companies at the time is available, though there is speculation among the Rado collector community that a partnership existed, if only as a result of the consolidation of various watchmaking houses into what would eventually become the Swatch Group (including Longines, Certina, Rado, ETA and others). The present example of Rado/Longines cal. L847 is numbered, something only seen previously on chronometer-certified Rado movements. It is assumed that this movement was not submitted for chronometer certification as there are no indications of such on the dial or case and because it was common practice for Longines to number their movements.

Photos: Click for larger images

An excerpt from a June 1975 Japanese Rado communication is reprinted here:

This watch has been sold.

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