Longines vs. Rado: Which is the Better Luxury Watch Brand?

Luxury watches are one of those accessories that complement your outfit for most occasions. It works even better when you get your piece from reputable brands like Longines and Rado. Both brands offer exquisite, iconic, and legendary luxury watches. 

Longines and Rado are two big names to reckon with when it comes to luxury watches. Aside from the fact that they both offer varying design patterns to suit every taste, their products are also great in technology, quality, and durability. 

The impressive watchmaking art of these brands makes them sit deservedly among the best watch brand worldwide. As much as both brands are outstanding and unique, they have significant similarities and differences. 

Most people often compare Longines to Rado because they have comparable features, including prices, quality, and artistry. It is normal to find yourself wondering which one is the best when choosing between these two. Well, after reading this piece, you will worry less. 

This review offers a comparative evaluation of Longines and Rado luxury watch brands. We will take a look at some background information, history, and other details about both brands. Likewise, we will analyze the differences, similarities, and other factors that will help you choose between Longines and Rado without much hassle.

If you are a watch enthusiast caught between choosing between these two brands, then this might be the most valuable piece for you. Let’s explore! 

The Rado Brand

The Rado brand is one of the earliest Swiss-based luxury brands. The brand was founded in 1917 with an initial company named Schlup and Co. The company maintained this name until 1950, when it changed to Rado Moniker, a name still in use today. 

This brand did not take time to move its products across borders in the ‘60s. The brand started selling its products in over 60 countries as early as the ‘60s. One of the reasons for their fast popularity and wide coverage is their quality offerings and impressive artistry. 

Rado made its first mark in the watchmaking industry with its Rado Distar 1. This debut watch took the market by storm because it was the pioneer scratch-resistant watch or timepiece. 

Rado was also the pioneer brand to introduce sapphire crystal to craft the watch’s window. This art of using sapphire crystal is now the standard that most timepieces use in crafting their watch’s window, design, and other construction. 

Fast forward to 1970, Rado hit another groundbreaking milestone in the watchmaking industry with its Rado Integral. This model features an integral ceramic design, which developed into the brand’s signature design until today. The improved ceramic feature is one of the elements that differentiates Rado from other brands. 

The present-day products are not only exquisite, but they are also durable with impressive ceramic construction. Although the price of most Rado products might be slightly higher compared to similar products from other brands, you will certainly get a high value for your money.

The Longines Brand  

Longines is another unique luxury brand. It is one of the earliest Swiss watchmakers and moved on to become one of the industry’s most famous brands. The brand is founded in 1832 in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, where it is still based today. 

Like Rado, Longines did not start with their current name. The company uses the name Raiguel Jeune and Cie until 1867, when they changed officially to Longines. The inspiration for this name was from the company’s location, Les Longines, St. Imier.

Longines is one of the most respected names when it comes to watchmaking. It is currently a part of the famous mega-conglomerate, Swatch Group Limited. Longines is popular for its impressive technology, an integral part of its watchmaking art. 

This brand initially found it difficult to adapt to the changing watch market. However, the story changed in 1878 when Longines produced its debut 20H watch models. These models are chronograph watches, which eventually became popular. 

Longines continued its relentless competition in the market with the production of Longines Weems. This model set another milestone in watchmaking art, and it is one of the popular flagship aviator watches. 

Their production even got better in 1988 when Longines joined Swatch Group Ltd. Longines is respectable for its innovative watch technology. One of its most notable developments is the introduction of the crown-wound watch mechanism. 

The crown-wound watch model dominated the market right after Longines introduced it. This innovation and subsequent innovative technology are some of the things that placed Longines ahead of most other competitors. 

Longines vs. Rado

As stated earlier, Longines and Rado are comparable because they have some things in common. Both brands are among the well-respected names when it comes to watchmaking. Let’s quickly run through a comparative evaluation of some remarkable works of both brads.

Chronograph Watches

Longines Master Collection L2.673.4.78

Longines offers a series of impressive timepieces with its master collection. It was able to integrate quirky design, reliability, and durability into one watch. One of its most outstanding features is that it uses 7,751 movements. 

The Longines timepiece has a power reserve of up to 48 hours for reliability. Not just that, the watch also uses a column wheel transmission system, which is one of the features in hot demand. 

Likewise, it features sub-dials that enhance the performance of the watch. The top sub-dial displays day and month, while the bottom sub-dial displays a 12-hour timer. Also, the sub-dial on the right displays a 24-hour timer. 

Although this watch is not the best outdoor timepiece, it still has features that make it suitable for such a purpose. This classical silk watch has a 30 m water resistance that serves as valuable protection of the piece from the water and occasional rain. 

Rado HyperChrome Green Dial

Rado usually integrates unique dimensions when making their watches, and this is one reason why they stand out among other makers. The Rado HyperChrome Green Dial is different from the aesthetic of a regular watch. 

The timepiece features three sub-dials, which are hour, minute, and seconds. It also has a date window to complete the watch’s emerald dial.

Rado HyperChrome Green Dial has green dials and silver markers the give the timepiece a unique appearance. It also features a large 44.9 mm stainless steel case, bigger than most regular watches. 

Overall, Rado HyperChrome Green Dial is a premium grade timepiece with premium functionality and a great outlook.

Dress Watches

Longines and Rado also offer a range of premium-grade dress watches with excellent quality and functionality. They have built a great reputation in this category. Let’s check how both brands fare in this category.

Rado Centrix Jubile Watch

Rado Centrix Jubile Watch has a gold-plated design with sleek black to give a substance watch with great style. This watch uses a 38 mm premium grade stainless steel case, which is bigger than the case of an average timepiece. It also includes a self-winding movement, which is one of Rado’s signature designs. 

Rado Centrix Jubile Watch comes with great functionality. It has three dial hands, which are seconds, minutes, and hours. Likewise, it has a date display and four markers that indicate 9, 12, 3, and 6 o’clock, making it easy to read. 

This watch uses Rado’s signature scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass to improve its durability and protect it. The design also includes a high-quality ceramic material with its bezel to cap its quality design and great functionality.  

Longines Flagship Automatic L4.774. 4.57.6

Longines Flagship Automatic L4.774. 4.57.6 is one of Longines’ products that display their strength. The watch integrates quality designs, sophistication, elegance, and durability into one piece. It has a shiny silver case and bracelet that complements its black dial to leave a statement in any gathering. 

All the features of Longines Flagship Automatic L4.774. 4.57.6 are built with great sophistication. It uses 12 diamonds to act as markers, and its dials are also silver-toned. It has four dials, which indicate hour, minutes, and seconds and a date display on the 3 o’clock position. These dials use sapphire crystal glass, which is scratch-resistant, tough, and durable. 

The analog auto-movement within this watch ensures accuracy in time reading. Another superb feature of this watch is its 30 m water resistance, which means it is suitable for outdoor use. It will shrug off some water slashes and occasional rain. 

Longines vs. Rado: Which is Better?

As elaborately described above, both Longines and Rado are great watchmakers with a rich historical background. They both offer exceptional watches in various categories, and these watches are famous worldwide. However, Longines and Rado differ slightly in the range of watches they produce, even though they have similar classes. 

Although both brands are great, Longines is oriented towards the traditional crowd while Rado is more common among the younger generation. However, both brands are almost on par when it comes to reliability, precision, and top-quality designs. 

In summary, Longines and Rado give a close match in most aspects. You will only lean towards Longine’s master collection if aesthetics is one of the significant factors you choose to consider. Other than that, you won’t go wrong in choosing either brand for your luxury watch.