Rado goes “fully anatomical” with the Anatom Skeleton
Jason Lee- Rado expands the popular Anatom collection with a skeleton dial for the first time.
- While the case is PVD stainless steel, the colour-matched bezel is crafted from matte plasma high-tech ceramic, with a rubber strap in the same tone.
- The automatic R808 movement delivers an 80-hour power reserve and features an antimagnetic Nivachron hairspring.
Rado has spent much of its modern history carving out a lane where materials and industrial design matter as much as classical watchmaking storylines. The company traces its beginnings to Schlup & Co. in Lengnau, Switzerland, founded in 1917, before “Rado” became the name on the dial decades later — a word the brand itself links to Esperanto for “wheel”, which feels like a neat mission statement for a marque that’s rarely chased nostalgia for its own sake.
The pivot from traditional preciousness to durability is a recurring thread, too: Rado still points to the DiaStar’s 1962 debut as a landmark moment for scratch resistance, and it treats the Integral of 1986 as a turning point for high-tech ceramic in its modern identity. Even today, its “Master of Materials” isn’t just a tagline; it’s the through-line that explains why Rado watches so often read as product design objects first, and conventional wristwatches second.
That context matters because the Anatom is one of the clearest expressions of Rado’s approach. First launched in 1983, it didn’t try to win the era’s bezel-and-bracelet arms race so much as it pursued a single idea: a wrist-following, ergonomic shape paired with a curved sapphire crystal that makes the whole watch feel like a continuous, integrated form. Rado has long described that crystal as central to the “Anatom concept” — a convex, wrist-hugging piece of sapphire that helps the watch sit as it belongs there, not like it’s perched on top of the arm. And if you’ve ever tried to explain the Anatom to someone who hasn’t handled one, that’s usually the quickest way to do it: the comfort isn’t an afterthought, it’s the point.
For January 2026, Rado is taking that case-led identity and pulling the spotlight inward with the new Anatom Skeleton. The brand frames it around the idea that “beauty is more than skin deep”, and while the metaphor leans a little poetic, the intention is clear: the Anatom’s exterior has always been the star, and now the movement becomes part of the design language rather than something hidden behind a dial. Rado even describes the watch as “fully anatomical” this time — the familiar, sculpted outer form acting as the “body”, while the newly visible gears, bridges, plates and springs become a visual stand‑in for what makes a body function. It’s a very Rado way to talk about a skeleton watch: not as a technical flex, but as a design decision that changes how you relate to an established silhouette.
Visually, the launch reference features the same grey and yellow gold colour scheme as 2025’s Anatom Automatic release, which suits the Anatom’s futuristic, 1980s-leaning geometry surprisingly well. The bezel, crown and clasp cover are all in matte plasma high‑tech ceramic, backed up by a horizontally brushed stainless-steel middle section that gives the case a crisp, industrial edge. It’s worth remembering that Rado has been exploring the idea of ceramic that looks like metal for a long time: in its own milestones, the brand talks about plasma high‑tech ceramic as a process that transforms white ceramic to achieve a warm metallic sheen without simply “being” metal.
The dial-side architecture features a suspended white minute track sitting above the movement, punctuated by cast Super‑LumiNova blocks for indices. Over the top is that signature cylindrical sapphire crystal, with bevels and anti-reflective coating on the inside, bonded in place to keep the case’s smooth, edge-to-edge continuity. Rado also adds a grey metallised edge treatment around the crystal.
That “animated” feel is central to how the brand describes the watch. Rado describes the movement as a kind of three-dimensional maze, and you can see why: anthracite-coded nickel- and ruthenium-toned plates, while yellow-gold coloured elements thread through the view like highlights. Rado calls out details such as vertical brushing on the dial surfaces, horizontal brushing on plates, and bevelled crystal edges as deliberate depth cues. Importantly, the hands are also skeletonised and filled with lume.
Mechanically, it’s powered by Rado’s ETA-based R808 automatic calibre, with 80 hours of power reserve and an antimagnetic Nivachron hairspring. Rado states the movement exceeds standard test requirements to five positions for improved accuracy, and visually, it’s treated to an anthracite coating with horizontal-brushed decoration.
Rado has paired this Anatom with a rubber strap, similar to those found on the Anatom Summer trio — flexible, odourless, and engineered to resist wear, UV exposure and a range of chemicals. The clasp continues the same material and colour mix as the case, with a ceramic cover to match the matte plasma bezel and crown, and yellow-gold coloured pushers that echo the dial-side accents.
Closing thoughts
Stepping back, the Anatom Skeleton also lands neatly in the broader Rado pattern: take a distinct silhouette, then re-express it through material science and contemporary dial architecture. The brand frames it as part of its “Art of Skeletonisation”, but the more that it uses skeletonisation here to reinforce what the Anatom has always been about — design that’s meant to be worn, not just looked at.
Rado Anatom Skeleton price and availability
The new Rado Anatom Skeleton is available now for purchase from Rado’s e-boutique and retailers. Price: A$7,150
| Brand | Rado |
| Model | Anatom Skeleton |
| Case Dimensions | 32.5 x 46.3mm (D) x 11.5mm (T) |
| Case Material | Matte plasma high-tech ceramic with stainless steel case middle |
| Crystal(s) | Cylindrical sapphire |
| Dial | Skeletonised |
| Strap | Grey rubber strap |
| Movement | Rado R808, ETA C07.901 base, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 80 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | A$7,150 |