Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran spotted wearing a Rado

Malayalam actor and director Prithviraj Sukumaran was recently photographed at an outdoor setting — lush green trees in the background, relaxed kurta attire — with a gleaming gold-tone Rado DiaStar Original sitting squarely on his wrist. The pairing of a heritage Swiss dress watch with traditional Indian clothing is a quietly interesting style statement, and the DiaStar carries enough horological credibility to reward a second look.

The Rado DiaStar Original traces its lineage directly to 1962, when Rado introduced what it billed as the world's first scratchproof watch. The secret was a hardmetal case — a tungsten-carbide composite — that offered dramatically superior surface hardness compared to conventional stainless steel. The current reissue retains the essential DNA: an oval cushion-shaped case in gold PVD-coated hardmetal, an integrated bracelet with the brand's characteristic horizontal ribbing, and a dial divided by a central vertical dark stripe flanked by diamond hour markers and a striped gilt field. The day-date display is rendered in a large, legible aperture — a functional flourish that anchors the dial's retro-futurist aesthetic.

Inside runs the ETA 2836-based automatic movement, delivering 38 hours of power reserve and beating at 28,800 vph. It is not a manufacture calibre, but it is reliable, serviceable, and entirely appropriate for a watch in this price segment. Water resistance is rated to 30 metres — sufficient for daily wear, not for diving.

From a collector standpoint, the DiaStar Original occupies an interesting niche. It is not a hype piece, does not command premiums on the secondary market, and is rarely found on the wrists of watch-world influencers chasing clout. That is precisely its appeal to a certain kind of buyer: a genuine piece of 1960s Swiss design history, available new at an accessible price point, with zero waiting list.

Prithviraj Sukumaran, one of Malayalam cinema's most bankable and internationally recognised faces, has never been loudly conspicuous about luxury. Choosing a Rado DiaStar Original — retailing around $774 / ₹59,000 in India — over a more ostentatious option speaks to a collector sensibility that values heritage and design over badge value. The gold-on-gold look is bold, but the choice itself is measured.