Rado says the Centrix collection is perhaps its most popular collection of watches. There are a variety of options to choose from, with each piece looking particularly elegant and interesting in their own right. The one I’ve got here for review is my own personal Rado Centrix Automatic Open Heart, reference R30178152 - it’s one of the more left-field designs in the lineup, being a skeletonised watch, and features Rado’s signature material, ceramic, on the bracelet.
Sitting at £2000 or so, it sits in the mid-range of Rado’s price lineup, but as one of the more expensive Centrix offerings - let’s have a gander, and see what that price gets you.
A slim and slender case, with petite dimensions
Rado Centrix Skeleton Open Heart - Credit Guest Author
This particular Centrix is by no means a massive watch, offering a more refined 38mm case size, which sits well with its air of elegance when on wrist. Its 10.1mm thickness is also particularly slim, and means it can sit comfortably under virtually any cuff. This makes it an ideal pairing for any dressy occasion.
Those smaller dimensions don’t detract from the presence of the Centrix Automatic Open Heart on wrist, though, as it certainly looks the part. It’s seemingly part of this wider fascination we’re having with smaller watches at the moment, which I’m definitely here for. The Centrix Automatic Open Heart looks fantastic with those proportions, and putting it to be any bigger would detract from the entire point of this being an elegant and interesting-looking option.
Rado Centrix Skeleton Open Heart - Credit Guest Author
The crown doesn’t protrude too much, while the addition of a flat sapphire crystal keeps things both modern and functional. The case itself is comprised of stainless steel, and all in, the Centrix Automatic Open Heart weighs 122g. It weighs more than bigger watches from the likes of Christopher Ward I’ve worn in the past, but is still rather wearable.
The two-tone colour combination of a dark brown on both the dial and majority of the bracelet, combined with the accents of silver, make the Centrix Automatic Open Heart appear quite classy. It’s also available in both gold and black finishes, and for a time, Rado also manufactured a white dial option. The brown and silver is my personal pick though, given it’s a more old-fashioned colour paired with the interesting nature of a skeletonised dial.
Rado Centrix Skeleton Open Heart - Credit Guest Author
While that may give the initial impression that the Centrix Automatic Open Heart is a boring watch to look at, that’s certainly not the case. Rado has often had a knack for making interesting looking watches, with everything from the range of dials on offer for their longstanding Captain Cook models to the odd case shapes of the Diastar range. The Centrix Automatic Open Heart’s key feature is its skeletonised, open-heart dial, which catches my eye every time I look at it.
An angular dial, with equally elegant touches
On first impression, the Centrix Automatic Open Heart’s dial looks almost aggressive, with its sharp corners and cutouts which exhibit the dial below. Those angular touches, combined with the deep brown colouring, look excellent, and offset the majorly silver movement below nicely, as they do on the watch’s ceramic bracelet too.
In-keeping with this watch’s refined nature, the small Rado logo at three o’clock, combined with the word ‘Automatic’, keeps things classy, as do the thin hour markers and lance hands for hours and seconds. Their slender size almost suggests that as much as this is a watch whose sole purpose is to tell you the time, that its skeleton dial and finish is almost more important than its functionality.
Rado Centrix Skeleton Open Heart - Credit Guest Author
As much as this is executed wonderfully, it has the drawback of meaning the Centrix Automatic Open Heart’s luminescence is next to non-existent. There is no sign of any lume on the hands or markers of this particular reference, although even if there was, its effectiveness would be minimal, given how small the handset and hour markers are.
Around the back, the Centrix Automatic Open Heart features an open caseback, which exhibits the movement at work, as well as generally more functional finish compared to the dressier front side. The window on the caseback itself is a lot smaller than the dial, and features a simply finished rotor, complete with Rado logo. There’s nothing wrong with the back of the Centrix Automatic Open Heart, but you may well have been expecting something a little more exciting.
A comfortable ceramic bracelet
The bracelet is where we find Rado’s use of ceramic, a material they have been using for an awful long time, and one that has set them apart from other manufacturers. This seems odd in a couple of ways, given that ceramic isn’t a material used on bracelets much, and it’s somewhat odd to have a dressy and elegant watch like this Centrix Automatic Open Heart on a bracelet.
Rado Centrix Skeleton Open Heart - Credit Guest Author
Addressing the first issue here, the use of brown ceramic on the Centrix Automatic Open Heart’s bracelet both unifies the look with the dial colouring, and makes this an especially comfortable bracelet to wear. It also has the advantage of being virtually scratchproof, too, meaning the main links of the Centrix Automatic Open Heart should be resistant to any accidental dings.
And for the second point of the Centrix Automatic Open Heart actually being on a bracelet in the first place, it just looks and feels fantastic on wrist. The ceramic and stainless steel-accented bracelet completes the watch’s elegant and classy looks,especially as the steel case flows wonderfully into the edges of the bracelet. It also features a nice taper, so it sits well on wrist. I’ve had a couple of links taken out of mine in the past, and it makes the watch a little snugger than yours may be, but it remains comfortable, with the smooth ceramic.
An excellent in-house movement
Rado says the Centrix Automatic Open Heart features an in-house movement, which is always welcome on a watch at this price. They don’t specify the name of said movement, though, which seems a bit strange. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if it was an ETA option of some form, given the Swatch Groups owns ETA, and have used similar movements to power options from Tissot (Powermatic 80), Hamilton, and other brands within their portfolio, Technically, this may count as an in-house movement, given Rado’s ownership.
Rado Centrix Skeleton Open Heart - Credit Guest Author
Besides the confusion and ambiguity, the movement inside the Centrix Automatic Open Heart is a solid 25 jewel option, which offers a decently smooth sweep. It also offers a fantastic 80 hours of power reserve, meaning if you keep it wound, it’ll last for a good few days before needing to be rewound again. Rado doesn’t disclose the accuracy of the movement, however, which is a shame.
Summing up
To be truthful, the Rado Centrix Automatic Open Heart is actually the first ‘proper’ watch I got nearly four years ago for my 18th birthday. It’s a piece I love dearly, and one I don’t wear enough. It’s elegant and classy, and with a smaller set of proportions, doesn’t appear obtrusive on wrist. It wears well with a ceramic and accented stainless steel bracelet, complete with titanium butterfly clasp. The movement inside is reliable and provides a good power reserve, too. My only downside is its distinct lack of lume, but for a watch with an interesting open-heart dial, and wonderful looks, the Centrix Automatic Open Heart is a marvellous choice for the price.
Specs
- Brand: Rado
- Model: Centrix Skeleton Open Heart
- Price: £2000
- Material: Stainless steel case, ceramic bracelet, titanium class
- Movement: Not specified, but ‘in-house’, 25 jewels, 80 hours power reserve:
- Complications: None
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Dial: Skeletonised, open heart
- Size: 38mm case diameter, 10.1mm thickness
- When the reviewer would personally wear it: To events or functions, as a dress watch
- A friend we’d recommend it to first: Someone who likes odder looking and smaller timepieces, from a brand outside of the usual mainstream.
- Best characteristics of the watch: Its open-heart dial, which certainly is eye-catching
- The worst characteristics of the watch: The lack of luminescence due to its slim handset and hour markers
