The Rado Centrix | family history
Rado built its brand on materials science. The Centrix is where that proposition meets a round case, a Swiss movement, and a price point that makes ceramic wearability genuinely accessible.
Rado's integrated ceramic bracelet collection in a round case architecture. The Centrix Automatic 39mm is the approachable entry to Rado's scratch-resistant ceramic expertise.
1990s-2004 · Rado's ceramic foundations
Rado pioneered scratch-resistant ceramic in watchmaking during the 1990s through its DiaStar and Integral lines. High-tech ceramic (zirconia-based) is harder than most metals, nearly impervious to surface scratching from daily wear, and chemically inert. The manufacturing complexity required proprietary sintering processes that Rado invested in while other Swiss manufacturers focused on conventional steel.
No references from this era in the catalog yet.
2005-present · The Centrix line
The Centrix arrived as Rado's more accessible ceramic automatic, pairing the brand's scratch-resistant case material with the ETA 2892-A2, a highly regarded Swiss automatic movement with a strong service network. The 39mm round case is conservative in proportion but benefits immediately from the ceramic scratch resistance. The Centrix is the most unfussy entry point into the Rado catalog.
How to read this family
Two questions for Centrix buyers:
- Does ceramic scratch resistance matter in practice? Yes, more than most buyers expect. A ceramic case develops essentially no surface scratches from normal wear: keys, coins, surfaces that would mark a steel case leave ceramic unmarked. The tradeoff is ceramic is brittle under impact; a hard knock to a corner can chip it where steel would dent. For desk-wear and daily life, ceramic wins clearly.
- Is the ETA 2892-A2 worth paying for vs. a cheaper movement? The 2892-A2 is one of the most-serviced Swiss movements in existence, with an established independent service network. It runs accurate, winds smoothly, and has a known service cost. For a watch you plan to own for years, the movement quality is a genuine consideration, not just a spec sheet figure.
Related families: Longines Master Collection
References in this family
Which ref to buy
The Centrix is Rado's ceramic dress watch: round case, ceramic bracelet options, ETA 2824-2 movement. A clean contemporary dress watch leveraging Rado's ceramic expertise.
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Centrix Automatic 39mm -- ceramic dress watch, clean design, the ceramic argument applied to a conventional dress form.
- The case for it:
- The ceramic case and bracelet on the Centrix is lighter and more scratch-resistant than steel alternatives at the same price. For buyers who want a ceramic dress watch, the Centrix is more accessible than the True Thinline.
- Consider instead if:
- The Centrix does not have a distinctive design signature. It competes against Tissot, Longines, and Mido dress watches that offer more recognizable brand stories at comparable prices.
Rankings last reviewed 2026-06-07. Editorial perspective only. Not financial advice.