FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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HOW MUCH DO SPARE PARTS COST FOR RADO WATCHES?
Original Rado spare part replacement is subject to the individual condition of each watch. To find out the original Rado spare part costs for your Rado watch, please contact the authorised Rado Service Center in your area. Rado sells spare parts only to certified clients and service centers who meet our strict requirements in terms of quality and technical training.
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ALLERGIES
With regard to nickel precipitation in our products, we orientate ourselves towards meeting the specifications of the international implementation of the REACH directive in the EU. The maximum permitted limit value is 0.5 μg/cm2 of nickel precipitation per week. By observing this statutory limit value, we can ensure that the risk of an allergic reaction to nickel in our products is reduced to a minimum. At Rado, every watch model is checked against the aforementioned criteria before it goes on sale. In our experience, allergic reactions to our products are exclusively isolated cases. If a customer should have an allergic reaction, we recommend having this checked by a doctor. Only a doctor is able to determine whether there has actually been an allergic reaction.
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HOW LONG ARE THE MAINTENANCE INTERVALS FOR A RADO WATCH?
Like any high-precision instrument, watch movements must be maintained regularly to ensure that they work perfectly. Rado is not able to specify exact maintenance intervals, as this depends entirely on the watch model, climate, and level of care exercised by the watch owner. An approximate guide for servicing a watch movement – depending on how the watch is used – is around five years.
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HOW CAN I TELL IF A RADO WATCH IS GENUINE?
Only a qualified watchmaker or an authorised retailer who is familiar with Rado products is able to determine whether a watch is a genuine Rado timepiece. We advise you to only purchase Rado watches from an authorised Rado retailer. You can find your nearest retailer, as well as a full list of authorised points of sale, by clicking on the Store Locator . Every new Rado watch comes with a warranty card issued by Rado.
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DOES RADO PERFORM VALUATIONS?
No. In order to determine a fair market value for your watch, Rado recommends that you consult a professional valuer who specialises in vintage watches and jewellery. The price of a worn Rado watch always depends on the offer and demand. Rado does not buy back used watches.
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HOW MUCH DO SERVICES FOR RADO WATCHES COST?
The service is subject to the individual condition of each watch. To find out the service costs for your Rado watch, please contact the authorised Rado Service Center in your area.
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WHERE CAN MY RADO WATCH BE SERVICED?
Rado has an international network of 5,000 authorised retailers, and many authorised Rado Service Centers, which provide reliable services worldwide. Click here to find the Rado Service Center closest to you: Find Service Center.
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WHY SHOULD THE BATTERIES BE CHANGED AT A RADO SERVICE CENTER?
Rado recommends that you take your watch to an authorised Rado Service Center where the water resistance is tested when replacing the battery to ensure that your watch is properly sealed. Rado recommends replacing the gaskets and, if necessary, the crown every time the battery is replaced to ensure the water resistance of the watch. You can contact your nearest Rado retailer using the Store Locator for information on how to have your watch serviced.
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PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR AUTOMATIC RADO WATCH
Recommendation how to use automatic watches
Before “wearing” your automatic Rado watch again, i.e. attaching it to your wrist, we recommend turning the crown 15 to 20 full turns. By doing so, you ensure that your Rado watch starts out with sufficient power reserve and its accuracy lies within tolerance.
By moving the arm and/or wrist on which the watch is worn, the automatic winding mechanism fully winds up the watch movement over time. To do this, the watch must be actively worn for several hours (approx. 4 to 8 hours, depending on the activity of the wearer) per day.
This guarantees that your automatic Rado watch will display the exact, reliable time for you.
The accuracy of a mechanical, automatic watch:
Tolerance for normal movements:
Maximum deviation from minus 5 to plus 20 seconds within 24 hours.
Tolerance for chronometer movements:
Maximum deviation from minus 4 to plus 6 seconds within 24 hours.
The power reserve of a mechanical, automatic watch:
The minimum duration is 36 hours. When the fully wound watch is put into an idle position and is no longer moved, it shows the precise time for another 36 to 40 hours and in some cases up to 80 hours.
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AS A PRIVATE CUSTOMER, CAN I GET SPARE PARTS?
We do not sell any spare parts to private customers. Our spare parts customers are authorised by Rado and must meet clearly defined criteria in terms of machine and tool infrastructure as well as the technical training of the employees.
To have your Rado watch serviced, please contact one of our authorised service centres. You will find the addresses on our website www.rado.com under “Customer Service”, “Service Centers”.
Material
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HOW HARD ARE RADO WATCHES?
The extreme hardness of Rado high-tech materials guarantees durability and brilliance. The Vickers scale is used to indicate hardness: the higher the value, the greater the resistance to scratches. The top value of 10,000 is attributed only to natural diamond and to Rado high-tech diamond. Rado watches are hard but not indestructible. Although our high-tech materials are resistant to scratches, Rado watches must be treated with care. They should not be dropped, and sharp knocks should be avoided. If hit hard enough, the materials may break.
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IS HIGH-TECH CERAMIC/CERAMOS™ SCRATCH-RESISTANT?
Scratch-resistant means “capable of withstanding scratching that occurs with normal everyday use”. Rado high-tech ceramic has a very high level of scratch-resistance. However, there is a risk of scratching if it comes into contact with materials that are as hard as or harder than high-tech ceramic. Particles of these materials can be found in nail files, in granite or in sand. We recommend that you take care of your watch and try to avoid wearing it in situations where it may come into contact with other extremely hard materials.
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ARE RADO WATCHES WATER RESISTANT?
All Rado watches are water-resistant. They are resistant to a minimum of 3 bar (30 meters). Water-resistance is not a permanent condition. To ensure permanent water resistance, the watch should be checked once a year. To ensure conformity with the warranty regulations, these operations must be performed by an authorised Rado dealer or authorised Rado Service Center.
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HOW LONG DOES A WATCH BATTERY LAST?
A battery should last at least 30 months, depending on the type of watch, its size, and the energy required to power its various functions. A chronograph, for example, requires more energy than a watch that only displays hours and minutes. When the battery no longer works it should be removed or exchanged by an authorised Rado service center.
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DOES RADO USE SCRATCH-RESISTANT GLASS?
Scratch-resistant means “capable of withstanding scratching that occurs with normal everyday use”. Rado uses sapphire crystal, which has a very high level of scratch-resistance. However, there is a risk of scratching if it comes into contact with materials that are as hard as or harder than sapphire. Particles of these materials can be found in nail files, in granite or in sand. We recommend that you take care of your watch and try to avoid wearing it in situations where it may come into contact with other extremely hard materials.
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HOW LONG DO LEATHER STRAPS LAST?
The service life of a quality leather wrist strap is between 6 and 12 months, depending on use.
The leather strap of a watch is a consumable and is subject to a natural wearing and ageing process by being worn, and through normal ageing over time. A leather strap is moreover exposed to sweat, water, soap, skin cream and other substances that come into contact with the skin and leather strap. A leather strap must therefore be replaced after a certain amount of time as it is often put under great strain in day-to-day use. We are very careful to offer our customers optimum products when it comes to our leather straps. We thus conduct strict tests on all leather straps with regard to the use of fault-free materials, careful workmanship, and avoidance of harmful substances. In this way, we can ensure maximum comfort when wearing our leather straps.
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MAGNETISM
Magnetic fields can have various origins, e.g. the hard drive of a computer, medical equipment, speakers, TVs, refrigerators, induction fields for hobs, mobile telephones, power supply units, smartphones, magnetic fasteners on clothing, on jewellery, handbags and briefcases, etc. If the watch is exposed to a magnetic field, steel parts in the watch movement are magnetised, possibly even causing it to come to a standstill. However, it is important to know that the watch is not permanently damaged by this. It can be demagnetised with a special device at our service centres and will then function perfectly again.
Contact us
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CONTACT INFORMATION
SALES SUPPORT:
For information on current and historical Rado products, availability, and online order status and information.
+44 345 899 1962
store.uk@rado.comSERVICE CENTRE & SPARE PARTS
For information on servicing your timepiece, replacement straps and other spare parts information.
+44 845 899 0086
radoservice@uk.swatchgroup.comWRITE TO US
RWEC
The Swatch Group (UK) Limited
Building 1000, Royals Business Park,
Dockside Road,
London,
E16 2QU
Online orders
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HOW CAN I CHECK THE STATUS OF MY ORDER/SHIPMENT?
You can check the status of your order at any time by visiting our website and simply clicking on the My Account > My Order* link on the navigation bar at the top of the screen. You can also contact our Customer Service department on +44 345 899 1962 (Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) or by email at store.uk@rado.com
*Please note you must have an established account to view order status.
Actual delivery times will vary based on your geographic location.
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DOES RADO.COM/EN_GB SHIP INTERNATIONALLY?
At this time orders can only be shipped within the United Kingdom.
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DO YOU SHIP TO PO BOXES?
We do not ship to PO Boxes. Please note we only ship to United Kingdom addresses.
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WHAT SHIPPING OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE?
Unless otherwise stated, we offer complimentary shipping with DHL Express on all orders placed on rado.com/en_gb.
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IS THE SHOPPING PROCESS SECURE?
Rado takes great care to ensure your credit card information is safe when placing an order online. For this reason, we require you to re-enter your credit card information for each order. When making a purchase at rado.com/en_gb, all transactions are carried out using SSL 3.0 encryption -- the Internet standard for secure transactions. This ensures that your orders are encrypted when you transmit them to rado.com/en_gb. If you have any questions regarding our privacy practices, please call us on +44 345 899 1962 (Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) or email us at store.uk@rado.com.
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WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT ARE ACCEPTED AT RADO.COM/EN_GB?
The Rado UK Official Online Store accepts PayPal, Visa and MasterCard as forms of payment.
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RETURN & EXCHANGE POLICY
We are offering an extended returns policy for all orders on rado.com between 18th November– 31st December 2019. You will need to notify us about your intent to return your order by 17th January 2020 and you can use our free returns process to send your order back to us by 31st January 2020 at the latest.
Customer satisfaction is our goal. If you are not satisfied with your product, you may return any unworn, undamaged merchandise purchased online from rado.com/en_gb by mail within 14 days of delivery for an exchange or full refund of the purchase price. The customer will bear the cost of return shipping. Exchanged items will be shipped free of charge. Shipping & handling fees are non-refundable, except for defective or incorrectly shipped items.Any watch that fails quality inspection from Customer Service (e.g. scratches, worn, damaged) will be returned to you and no refund will be issued.
Items must be returned in their original packaging, including any accessories, extra links, free gifts, or anything else that came with the item.
For more information, please call us on +44 345 899 1962 (Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) or email us at store.uk@rado.com.
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HOW TO MAKE A RETURN / EXCHANGE
Please contact us to inform us of your wish to return your watch by calling us on +44 345 899 1962 (Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.) or by e-mail at store.uk@rado.com.
We will allocate you with a Returns Authorisation Code which should be included with the package to improve processing of your return.
If possible, please use a secure delivery method which requires signature such as Royal Mail “Signed For” or Royal Mail "Special Delivery" and return to:
RWEC
SG (UK) Limited
PO Box 62430
London
E16 2QUPLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A RETURN FORM
You will be responsible for the returned product(s) until they reach us.