Rado Watch Co. Ltd

Rado is a globally recognised brand, famous for innovative design and its use of revolutionary materials to create some of the world’s most beautiful and durable watches. Ever since its beginnings in Lengnau, Switzerland, Rado has been a pioneer, with the brand philosophy “if we can imagine it, we can make it” still holding true today.

Modest beginnings in Lengnau, Switzerland  in 1917.

The Schlup & Co. watchmaking factory was founded by the brothers Fritz, Ernst and Werner in 1917. Their humble atelier, a converted part of their parents’ home, was the birthplace of the company that would later become Rado. Though Schlup & Co. got off to a modest start, by the end of World War II the factory was among the largest producers of watch movements in the world.

1950 - 1959

The first Rado collection

Schlup & Co. began selling watches under the Rado brand name in the 1950s. The iconic Golden Horse collection made its debut in 1957, the same year that Schlup & Co. celebrated its 40th anniversary. The Green Horse collection followed in 1958 and was one of the first Rado models marketed on its water resistance. By the end of the decade, Rado was a truly international brand with a presence in over 61 countries.