Captain Cook info

[Fzenasni]

I recently purchased a Captain Cook MKII (11773/1) and would like to service it.

I have however doubts about the correct way of working of the watch.

One thing is the 3 o’clock crown that rotates the tachymeter.
It is very loose on mine, just wearing the watch rotates the tachymeter, the crown does work, but is very loose. Is this the expected behaviour or is there a push/pull of the crown that doesn’t work anymore, or does it need to rotate much firmer.

Another is the time/date setter at 4 o’clock. It only has one stop pulling it out, only allowing to adjust the time (and date if fast forwarded). Is this how it should work ?
I can’t find any manual of the watch, so I call on help of other owners.

Thanks

[Henry Krinkle]

Hi,

I have never had a Captain Cook, but I believe that the loose crown is a regular issue. As for theday/date it sounds like you have a quick date AS movement.,likely an AS1859, with a slow day change. This is very common in older Rados.

If you look towards the bottom of the page I've linked to you will see Rados recommendations for changing the day on these models. There is debate about whether this method is harmful to the movement.

http://www.equationoftime.com/forums...d.php?p=117168

[croolis]

If it's the date-only version (not the day-date), I had one of those (which has since been stolen) and it sounds like normal operation .. The inner bezel on mine was quite loose too, and definitely not reliable enough for diving! The movement, as Henry said, does not have a date quickchange function so it's down to the 1am/9pm/1am/9pm shuffle to get it right. Also, mine had the large crown signed and the smaller crown unsigned - this seems to be normal on the older models.

[Watch Carefully]

I wonder if some sort of gasket was present/intact on these originally and helped keep the crown from moving and thus moving the internal bezel. I seem to recall Mido had cork gaskets inside the crown--perhaps Rado has something like that that would impede unintended movement of the dive bezel.

[hongit]

I don't recall a gasket in the casetube. But the correct crystal plays a part in the correct functioning of the bezel. Most of the CC Mk2s I seen on Ebay have incorrect crystals (even though some of them are Rado crystals - the CC Mk2 crystal is very thick). Also, the cog between the stem and the bezel could be worn and giving too much play; or an incorrect replacement cog was used. To my mind the bezel should be firm to turn. Perhaps if Fzenasni could post some photos of his CC Mk2.
BTW, the CC Mk2 is one of my favourite Rados to wear and I think it is one of the most legible and well designed Rado there is. Also it is a proper diver. The bad press it has is, to my mind, not warranted. The early ones had superb AS 1700 movements and the later ones had AS 1858 movements which had issues.
If you find an original CC Mk2 (very hard to do) you'll have a great watch.
Cheers

[mike184]

Hi!

Looking through Brad´s pages, I discovered an old guarantee booklet from "end of the 1960s". It must be from 1965, before the CC MkII came - there´s a pic of a prototype inside never seen this way, a CC MkII with the hands of the MkI:



Doesn´t look bad, doesn´t it?

[vmetro777]

Here is an URL that sells quality Vintage and Antique watches at 80 to price 90% Discount and they currently have a beautiful CAPTAIN COOK RADO WATCH :

http://www.etsy.com/shop/antiqueways/

They have all kinds of quality watches: breitling, Wakmann, Tag Heuer, Rolex, Rado, Omega, Citizen Cromotron, Hermes, Van Cleef & Arpels, Gucci, Movado, Fendi, Dunhill,Bulova,Waltham,Cartier, and many more. Take a look!
Great customer service too.

Hi,

I have never had a Captain Cook, but I believe that the loose crown is a regular issue. As for theday/date it sounds like you have a quick date AS movement.,likely an AS1859, with a slow day change. This is very common in older Rados.

If you look towards the bottom of the page I've linked to you will see Rados recommendations for changing the day on these models. There is debate about whether this method is harmful to the movement.

http://www.equationoftime.com/forums...d.php?p=117168

[Henry Krinkle]

80% -90% discount...so you are suggesting that that 17 jewel Waltham for $199.94 is worth $1800. Is that right?

[Henry Krinkle]

Here is an URL that sells quality Vintage and Antique watches at 80 to price 90% Discount and they currently have a beautiful CAPTAIN COOK RADO WATCH :

http://www.etsy.com/shop/antiqueways/

They have all kinds of quality watches: breitling, Wakmann, Tag Heuer, Rolex, Rado, Omega, Citizen Cromotron, Hermes, Van Cleef & Arpels, Gucci, Movado, Fendi, Dunhill,Bulova,Waltham,Cartier, and many more. Take a look!
Great customer service too.

A Captain Cook Mk II is worth $3950? On what planet? I've got some Rados way more "rare" than a CC MK II and for those prices I'd let all of them go. I'm pretty sure I could afford the "space fare" and still make a profit.

There is a CC MK II on ebay right now BIN $220 with one replaced crown but a cleaner movement than the one you are offering. The last two completed listings both went for under $150. To be fair those were both men's watches not a women's watch. Women's Rados tend to sell for less than the same men's version. The CC is not a limited edition and is not numbered as such. The 2659 is likely for the ETA 2659 movement inside.

[hongit]

But I think the more well known block hands suit the CC M2 better.
Also, the early CC Mk2s had the flat 2 seahorses back as the early Rados, including the CC Mk1
Similar shaper to the Marco Polo, and the later LRs which you and Henry have.