Original Mk1 and MK2 Captain Cooks found...questions...

[Trunkman]

Hi all, I'm new to this forum and quite new to Rado.

I have collected military watches and interesting divers since about 2009.


Recently I bought a small haul of “broken watches” from a shop. In it was a Rado Captain Cook MK1 that was not broken at all. In fact I wound it up, put it on my wrist and it has been running perfectly for a few weeks. I love everything about it - the small size, the dial, the caseback, the condition - it's a very charismatic watch indeed. In the same collection was the Mk 2, which is equally as attractive and has also been running perfectly.


So, my interest was piqued and so I started trying to learn a little more about Captain Cooks. As you all know, there is little information apart from a couple of articles that say the same thing.


I sent an email query to C Bradly Jacobs who has written extensively about Rado and he sent me here.


Basically my Rado MK1 one is as follows:


Original black dial.


Simple Rado Logo and anchor on Dial.


Just the word “Swiss” below 6 Lume plot.


No Cyclops on crystal.


Original Lume on both hand and Lume plots.


Original concave bezel.


Original Rado anchor crown.


Replacement leather strap (not Rado)


Original double Seahorse caseback.


Original 30 Jewel movement


Case patent number 343842


But the engraved ref number on the back is not the usual 11863, but 11716. I believe (looking at your forum) that this is usually the Rado President ref but this has the identical caseback as the 11863 Captain Cook and looks nothing like the flat back of most of the Presidents I have seen. But I have seen two presidents with “similar" backs but not with this ref or with the detailed seahorse engraving that this has. More like a lower quality version.


I believe the watch is 100% correct, in superb condition (IMHO better than the very few that are currently for sale) and the man who originally collected the watches (RIP!) I bought was a stickler for information. He paid close to £500 for it back in 2007. I know this as all the watches came with hang tags attached, written out with all this information. For some reason the shop that was selling the deceased man’s collection were clueless about everything and failed to read any of the hang tags. Bizarre really.


So, I'm wondering, is this just the wrong caseback? I think this would be unusual based on the condition of the watch. Or have I stumbled across a second issue of the MK1 with a new ref that is until now not known? Could it be a mistake at Rado originally, they put the wrong caseback on? I am intrigued and would like to know if any of you forum members have any ideas or thoughts. I shall try and upload pics.

[Henry Krinkle]

Hello and welcome.

Nice find.

I want to check some of my info and my MK II and a few other things. I have a very busy weekend ahead, so if you can bear with me, I can provide at least atiny bit of info for you early next week.

Quick thoughts; your MK II is in great shape. They are usually much more battered than that.
Your Mk I's dial has been refinished. This may or may not relate to the President caseback. Considering what MK Is go for these days, if you bought it in abox of broken watches you probably got a heckuva deal despite the dial.

[watch carefully]

Glad to see you here, TM,
I'll look this up soon in my database of production data.
I suspect the caseback on your Mk I is from a Purple Horse of the same vintage, but have to confirm the reference assignments.

Meanwhile--happy to see anyone else's input.
Brad

[Henry Krinkle]

Glad to see you here, TM,
I'll look this up soon in my database of production data.
I suspect the caseback on your Mk I is from a Purple Horse of the same vintage, but have to confirm the reference assignments.

Meanwhile--happy to see anyone else's input.
Brad

I've got it as a President, made from 1961-1967, so the same time period as the MKI.

[watch carefully]

I've got it as a President, made from 1961-1967, so the same time period as the MKI.

My findings will likely be the same then

[Henry Krinkle]

So, your CC MkII was built between 1965 and 1972. Official Rado production data claims 50,000 were built, which was a big production run for Rado. Thetrue number is likely somehwat less as we knwo of the existence of 11773/2s, in the form of both Sapporo's, which was a dial variation of the CC MKII that seems to have been linked to the 1972 Winter Olympics, and the date only Captain Cook MkII. Since both of those are quite uncommon, production of the regular Captain Cook MkII is stillprobably 45,000 or so.

While they did build a lot of them, there are indications that there were problems with the internal bezel, with a lot of reports of water ingress via the second crown, so the watch is a lot more uncommon than production data suggests.

Can you take some more pictures? I am specifically interested in the profiles of the crystals.