Tennis star Ash Barty teams up with Rado for new HyperChrome and artwork

Luke Benedictus

If you’re an ambitious tennis player, you could do a whole lot worse than start wearing a Rado. Consider the evidence. Former ambassador, Andy Murray partnered with the Swiss brand in 2012 and the next year he became the first Brit to conquer Wimbledon since 1936. Adding further credence to Rado’s lucky-charm powers, Ash Barty has already scooped two Grand Slams and become world No.1 since joining the brand in 2017.

It’s proved a fruitful relationship from a horological perspective, too. In 2019, the Rado HyperChrome Ashleigh Barty Limited Edition was released, a watch cased in white ceramic with an elegant mother-of-pearl dial. Now a fresh variation has been launched to tie in with Ash’s latest Australian Open campaign.

The Rado HyperChrome Ash Barty II ($3675 AUD) is a three-hand, quartz-powered watch that offers another high-tech ceramic case that encloses a mother-of-pearl dial in a gorgeous blue that resembles the world’s most inviting swimming pool. Three diamonds are stacked at 12 to balance a rhodium-coloured moving tennis ball symbol at 6 o’clock.

An engraving on the titanium case back presents Ash’s signature on a tennis ball with the consecutive edition-number xxx/996 above the ball and “Ash Barty” below it. The relevance of the number for the limited-edition run? Ash was born in 1996.

But that’s not the end of the Aussie tennis player’s collaboration with Rado. Ash recently joined forces with artist Ashvin Harrison to create a one-off artwork that will be auctioned for charity.

Ashvin’s work balances monochrome structures next to colourful details that apparently “represent the complexities of human emotion and connection”.  Where things get interesting here, is that Ash contributed the colour and energy to this work by hitting the canvas with paint-laden tennis balls.

The art project was initiated by Rado who will auction the final artwork, along with the tennis balls and racquet used in its creation. All proceeds will be donated to Make-A-Wish Australia to help grant wishes for terminally ill children.

“It was an amazing experience working with Ashvin and Rado on this very special piece of art,” Ash said. “Ashvin is so talented and has created something very cool, I was excited to help him. I hope the artwork can raise much needed funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation who do such a wonderful job of helping kids and families.”

You can bid on the artwork until January 31 via online art gallery Singulart. But here is the finished work below.