SOTC Part One - The Diastars

[scottjc]

It's taken me a long time to get round to this but here is my list of Rado Diastars.
Firstly, and this is the one that started it all for me. My first, and the world's first Diastar, the unnumbered model released in 1962.
To be historically correct I usually keep this on an original leather strap:

The strap is too short for my ridiculous wrists so I have switched it onto a genuine Rado milanese bracelet that was also available at around that time:

Not bad for 53 years old.
Rado Diastar 1. The first appearance of the now-famous faceted crystals. I have two of these, one with a slightly aged yellow dial:

And one with a gorgeous mirror dial:

This dial also features on the Asian version of the Diastar 1 with the cushion case:

The first variant was the Diastar 1/E chronometer, this one has the same dial as my unnumbered DS"0":

The Diastar 2 also suffers from the same problem as the first model in that the spring bars are fixed directly into holes in the tungsten carbide. As such they are extremely prone to breaking the lugs off, making them unwearable. Thankfully this one is intact and features the same yellow dial and my DS1, albeit in better condition:

I have a thing for the numerous mineral dial watches released by Rado. The first range to feature mineral dials was the Diastar 8/1. Having recently sold my red goldstone version I currently have three, left to right lapis lazuli, abalone shell, blue goldstone:

The Diastar 13-g (not gold as stated by Henry) is a big chunk of metal and mine features a replacement Diastar Magic dial:

[scottjc]

I ran out of space to list them all so will continue here.
My most modern Rado is the Diastar Original XL, a very heavy watch that wears much larger than the measurementswoukd suggest:

The Diastar 40 was released in 2002 to mark 40 years since the first Diastar was released and is the most beautiful watch I have ever handled:

And finally, the sorry affair that is my Diastar 81. The only LCD watch in my collection and it has a horribly disfigured dial. I have to show it here though:

Part Two- The Balboas will follow soon.

[iyonk]

Scott and Henry really make droll and fascinated by Rado... you have so many, but i never even seen any of them where i life!.. either you gys are super lucky or i'm just very unfortunate..


and i really love this DiaStar..

[is that my watch]

Scott and Henry really make droll and fascinated by Rado... you have so many, but i never even seen any of them where i life!.. either you gys are super lucky or i'm just very unfortunate..


and i really love this DiaStar..

super lucky have only seen two in the flesh and they new and a bit hideous if honest the old ones do it for me

[scottjc]

Scott and Henry really make droll and fascinated by Rado... you have so many, but i never even seen any of them where i life!.. either you gys are super lucky or i'm just very unfortunate..


and i really love this DiaStar..

Thanks lyonk.
I don't see any where I live either, apart from the ones I own that is.
I was very fortunate in that the unnumbered Diastar was the first I bought. I didn't know what I had at the time, they are so rare, especially in that condition.

[Donf]

Wow - very nice, that's a lot of 'heavy metal'.

[meijlinder]

Beautiful collection. Looking forward to the next part.

[Henry Krinkle]

Yay! Finally.


Nice collection. I would say it is more concentrated than mine. Your Zero at the very least has a better dial than mine. Mine also has some micro scratches, but being the hardest restoration I've ever done I am disinclined to even look for a better example. I do like that so many of the early Rado dials yellow so evenly that they end up being called champagne dials. I think this modern Rado is an attempt to duplicate that look.

[Henry Krinkle]

So you DS 2 is like a 0? My 2/1 has a steel insert that holds the lugs.

[scottjc]

Nice collection. I would say it is more concentrated than mine

Thanks mate. Bear in mind that this is only part one...