The Rado True Square Formafantasma is the result of Rado’s design collaboration with Studio Formafantasma, the award-winning Italian-Dutch design team. While they have adhered to the brand’s core ethos, the designers have added a layer of mystery.
Taking the ground-breaking high-tech ceramic True Square as the base, Formafantasma drew on the idea of a closed pocket watch to create a bold and impactful style statement that has been engineered by Rado to stand the test of time, literally.
The Amsterdam based Studio Formafantasma was founded by two Italian designers, Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin. The duo perceive their role as being “a bridge between craft, industry, object and user.” Their work has been presented and published internationally, with numerous museums displaying Formafantasma designs as part of their permanent collections.
Whether designing or investigating alternative applications of materials, Studio Formafantasma takes into consideration the context, process and detail of every project they undertake. The context includes historical, political and social forces that have played a part in an object’s fruition.
The Rado Formafantasma, likewise, is based on the idea of the closed watch, referring back to the historical pocket watches. The housing of the pocket watch was made to protect the delicate dial and mechanism inside. Only a small opening gave a glimpse of the time.
Similarly, the True Square Formafantasma uses an extra layer of vertically brushed ceramic as the ultimate scratch-resistant protective layer in which a small window for the dial has been made. The window itself is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides.
Among watch connoisseurs, Rado is known for its mastery of materials. It leads the industry in the introduction and use of high-tech ceramic, ultra-light ceramic, colourful ceramic and Ceramos in the construction of its timepieces. Its award-winning designs have won numerous prestigious international prizes, and are considered to be among the most forward-thinking in the watch industry.
As is typical for the “Master of Materials,” multiple materials are integrated into the Formafantasma watch; all chosen for their tactility. They also comply with the designers’ embrace of a distinct and unusual light grey tone-on-tone approach. Thirty years after creating the iconic Ceramica, Rado presents a square monobloc case using its pioneering injection moulding technology. The Rado Formafantasma thus becomes the first-ever square ceramic watch with an injected monobloc case.
Within the 38.0W x 44.2L x 10.4H mm case is the 11½ ETA C07. 611 automatic movement. It supports the central hour, minute and second hands on a matt light grey dial. It has a power reserve of up to 80 hours and is water-resistant to 50m.
The bracelet is in ceramic titanium, matching the case’s matt light grey, and has a comfortable 3-fold clasp. The sandblasted titanium case back is hypoallergenic. Overall, the True Square Formafantasma is smooth, light and comfortable to wear, in compliance with the Rado brand’s DNA.
The design comes not only from the inspiration of pocket watches, but also from the name of the design duo themselves. The “ghostly appearance” comes from both the monochromatic light grey construction and the “floating presence of the dial” through the small aperture.
With its outstanding design, high-quality Swiss-made movement, high-tech ceramic case and bracelet construction, the True Square Formafantasma is the ultimate way to protect one’s precious time; quite literally.
