The Captain Cook is a different animal compared to both Oris. The way the Rado plays with light on wrist is gorgeous and combines a wonderful package of techniques and materials that are executed exceedingly well.
I have just bought the Rado 37mm Golden brown dial. A beautiful watch. IMO the CC knocks the other two out of the water. Everything is beautiful about it.
Dear Bruce, The bezel in Captain Cook has the best QC among the three watches. Besides, the movement and the Crystal are the best with best Power Reserve of 80 Hours. However; I believe if Rado adds a Lume Pip and an Adjustable Bracelet, this Captain Cook will be very hard to beat at this category. Many Thanks and Best Regards for the unbiased and professional assessment of the three watches.
I think the rado is the nicest looking. They are also fantastically built watches. The 65 is also a nice looking watch. Your choice is probably the ugliest, it's bold and manly but lacks the sophistication of the other 2 , imo. It's just too bulky and looks like someone has sat on it and squashed it. A lot of the oris watches are the same. The 65 is nice because it's thinner with a cool classic design, but for my money the rado is the coolest design of the 3. Apple's and pears though.
Aquis is beautiful, I really like the ETA movement and the Divers 65 has a cool crystal. Something for everyone on this list. Aquis has a mineral window caseback not sapphire BTW
For all the reasons you gave, I agree that the Aquis is the clear winner. If it there were an "X" factor though, I'd have to go with the gorgeous Captain Cook. I'm glad you mentioned the Monta at the end. I'd love to see that compared up against the likes of the Aquis. Keep up the great work Bruce!
I had the Aquis and I love the look, feel and construction of the watch but the reason I sold it, and the main reason I think is holding the Aquis back from becoming an ultimate hit, are the proprietary lugs. Its impossible to fit another strap on it and the adapters just look wrong. Make it general fitting lugs and I'm sure the Aquis would sell tons more. I would buy it back in heartbeat if that was the case.
Thank you for the informative comparison, department by department. I would like to suggest to Bruce to add in an important category, which is Overall Build Quality / Finishing. Suppose that would complete the comparisons of the watches. Keep your vids coming! Cheers!
"Spec for dollar" ratio: Oris Aquis Diver is the clear winner. Versatility: Oris 65 takes the top spot. You can easily dress the Oris 65 up (with leather or suede straps) or dress it down (metal bracelet, rubber and nato straps). For a master's student, who is soon graduating and has limited funds, a well-made watch that can be worn in numerous scenarios (with both formal and informal attire) is an absolute must have. The Oris 65 is currently at the top of my 'graduation watch' list.
Is u want good spec for watch try Christopher ward. I picked the vintage diver over the oris because i thought it offered more watch for less. Same aesthetic. Check it out
In most of the categories you have praised Captain Cook but then a BUT came and you didn’t choose Captain Cook. It’s really annoying to see you trying to not choose CC to seem different from majority.
The polished outer links on Aquis have always put me off to get one but when I've visited my AD on the weekend I found out that there is a matte dial, brushed bezel and fully brushed bracelet model also available. So it looks like I'll be getting one 😁. And of course, thanks for the nice review! Keep up the good work!
I'd go with the Rado. You kinda lost me when you gave the Aquis the bezel win in spite of the bezel action being objectively worse. If you wanted to reccommend the Aquis just do it, don't make a "comparison" video.
I totally agree with what you said. I have just bought the CC Limited edition 37mm . The Bezel is amazing. This Bezel is more comparable to a Ceramic Omega seamaster one. This is how good it is.
Very cool comparison, interesting to see 2 Oris watches in the running. I would buy pre-owned and stretch into Tudor or Omega for a little over $2K. Thank you Bruce another great video :)
If i really had to choose Rado wins in design but zero lume dot is a big no no. Movement is a plus in reserve, but loses in smoothness. Aquis wins in almost everything but the Lake Baiqal is the only i would go for. Otherwise, it looks decent, but not impressive. Sixty five is simply bad. In every way. But i wouldn't buy any of them, partly i am not that rich, mostly they do not offer much for their price tag. Vintage wise i would go for Seiko SNZH53, Lorier Neptune, Christopher c65 trident, or even YEMA superman 39. My best pick would be Baltic Aquascaphe.
You need not worry with a 100m diver with the crown screwed in. Its rated 70m deeper than any scuba diver will likely go while diving. PADI rates the safe cutoff at 30m
Bruce Williams if it was really 100m I wouldn’t have any problem. The thing Is it’s pressure base. At 3 atm = 30 m = don’t put it in the water. Ex if you jump in a pool and your watch take the big flat, the pressure of the water can exceed the rating. That’s why imo 100m watch I wouldn’t stress if water goes of it or if I fall in the pool, but I wouldn’t go willingly swimming or diving with it. Tanks for the reply ! ;)
Rado Captain Cook was my initial choice as all three are in my radar right now….. but then I tried it on in person. The CC was impressive at first but I quickly got over it. After looking at it for about 20 minutes at the store, I just felt that it was too flashy and the design lacked restraint. On the other hand…. The diver 65 was never in my line of sight, but I immediately had a gut reaction when I saw it in person. I went to an authorized dealer today to look at the Oris Aquis and to my surprise, when the jeweler showed me the diver 65 42mm blue dial with black bezel, I fell in love. The photos and videos online does not give justice to how beautiful the 65 is! Granted the draw back was the mushy bezel… but the square sapphire domed crystal won me over. I also love how it wore on my wrist. Like, it didn’t “scream look at me” yet I couldn’t stop looking at it. Plus…. I do love that Oris is a smaller more independent company…. Whereas Rado, is part of a giant watch group. Nonetheless both are gorgeous and I am having a hard time deciding…. But I am leaning towards the 65 for it’s overall understated look and feel without losing personality. (FYI: I also love the Aquis, but after seeing it in person …. I feel like I can get the same look with a Breitling Superocean, which I do plan to get maybe next year.)
hey bruce, you really should have a look at the mido ocean star diver 600. it really has it all: chronometer certificate, ceramic bezel insert (fully lumed) and a great braclet with screwed links. and all of that for considerable less money than the aquis or the captain cook.
Seeing the movements of watches isn't important to me. I wont be taking it off at work to look at it, though I really like the Rado. Simple does it best for me.
I'm so in love with the Aquis... The modern design stands out in a market absolutely packed with vintage-inspired divers. If Oris pushed the quality up into the Tudor range, it'd be the perfect watch. Even the integrated bracelet is not necessarily a deal-breaker, as it helps make it very comfortable on wrist. Of course I say this without actually owning an Aquis, but hopefully soon I'll have my own! I think the Aquis is a special watch in that it's one of the few watches that is as versatile as the Submariner without being a design ripoff.
Good choice Bruce. The titanium aquis will be on my shopping list later this year. Stunning and simple lines. Captain cook great watch, love the styling but the date in red lettering just kills it for me. Black numbering or even the same colour as the Rado logo would have worked. Shame as for me it spoils a killer look by needlessly introducing another colour. Hopefully it will be changed in later editions then will buy.
I know I'm late to the party on this video, but I agree with your assessment of the Aquis 100% (minus the not caring about it getting scratched up part). I bought a blue-dialed 43mm Aquis on leather about a year ago, and it surprised me with how much better it looked in person than it did online. I absolutely love the way the applied markers, the sunburst dial, the domed crystal, and the polished ceramic bezel all play with the light together. A few weeks ago, I tracked down a reasonably priced bracelet, and fell in love with the watch all over again once I swapped out the leather. My Aquis gets more compliments from strangers than almost any other watch I own (I think my 1st gen. Orange Monster gets the most attention, but it's orange. Hard to miss that one). I think the BiCo would be second on my list out of the three. There are a few versions of the Diver 65 that I like, but the BiCo is my favorite. I was in love with the Captain Cook online, but recently I got a chance to see one in person when a friend bought one. It left me with a distinctly "meh" feeling in the metal, though I can't quite put my finger on why. To each their own, I guess!
I’ve owned the Aquis (black dial, steel bracelet) for almost a year now and I still can’t stop staring at it on my wrist. Retail is £1,570 here in the U.K.
I know it's the odd egg here, but the 65 has a character the others don't.. that inky blue dial, the bronze, the warmth... it may not be spec heavy but dang it's a sick watch.
In my opinion your analysis was spot on Bruce .. The fact is they are all quality watches and all are winners . However the new aquis is simply fantastic. Brought two in within the last couple of months and they are great daily drivers . They are part of my office rotation but would work well on any occasion, quite simply fantastic all rounder. ..
I prefer longines hydroconquest to any of those'....and it's cheaper. If I want an upgrade from hydroconquest I would go a step further and pay the premium for the Seamaster.
You may be right, I've been looking at the Longines and the Aquis and I'm not sure I want to pay the premium. I have the older style 65 with the Arabic numerals but I consider that a retro diver and separate from the modern divers.
Really like the 45mm version of the Rado with that hardened titanium, but you really need the wrist for it. As far as this video goes, I recommend the blue dial Aquis with blue rubber strap. Picture simply dont do it justice and they do look good in pictures lol. I recently swapped my bracelet to a blue OEM rubber strap, it’s the best look at this range (sub $2k usd). Another great watch currently would be the Ball roadmaster marine GMT (comes in green, blue, and Pepsi), similar in price range, but pretty much beat all 3 of theses watches in most of the comparable specs.
That titanium Oris is sick!! Also that Rado inspired me to get a beads of rice bracelet for my Airman 18, it's such a cool bracelet design Would love any of these three, cheers
just an FYI the movement of the captain cook i think is also in that of a 800$ Tissot....but style and looks etc it goes to Rado. I think Rado is the winner just because its vintage and timeless. 30 years from now that Rado is going to be looking stylish. That Oris is just a tank looking thing hehehe.
Seikopath. You sound like an Oris fanboy. Lol. Enjoyed the video. On looks alone as I have never held any of these the Rado gets my vote followed closely by the Aquis.
These are all such nice watches. I'd go with that Captain though, its a very unique but also subtle design that you don't see alot of. The other watches are great but I feel like a lot of companies makes watches that look similar to them.
Can you speak more to your opinion between the Monta Oceanking and this lineup? I’ve been leaning towards the Monta mostly due to its awesome bracelet and quick adjust
I'm not Bruce and I do not have personal experience with these three watches, but after buying a Monta Triumph two months ago maybe you'll find this useful. I couldn't be happier with this watch; the bracelet is next level even compared to these three (the Oceanking is even nicer than mine due to the dive extension), the BG W9 is almost exactly like the Aquis from this video, the finishing is definitely above its price bracket, and the Sellita SW300 is running at about +10 seconds a MONTH. Absolutely no regrets. Good luck with your decision!
Sure thing. I was an owner of the original ocean king a few years ago, I loved the eterna movement, and the older case and dial layout. From my experience and also in talking with other owners of the current generation there seems to be two camps when it comes to the ocean king- everyone agrees the execution is top notch. Very high level of detail and finesse. Where people get spit is what happens after one month. Some never want to look at another watch and are completely content, and the others get tempted to go mainstream luxury and buy a Black Bay or Seamaster. At that point they would have preferred to buy the mainstream luxury right off the bat as opposed to buying then flipping the Monta. You get less of that with Oris, Rado, Mido, CW, Sinn, etc. as they feel more like mid level watches and are usually much cheaper to come by. Closer to the low 1000s than the high 1000s. Monta is unique as it feels like a segway between mid level and luxury if that makes sense and not quite the mid level like the ones I featured here
The Aquis is probably the best PRACTICAL tool, the others perhaps prioritizing retro over function, but, for beauty, sorry, the Rado or Diver 65, hands down; '60s style didn't become less beautiful just because of the passage of time. The Aquis IS nicely designed for a modern watch, though.
Thanks for this great comparison. For future ones, would it be possible to compare "quality feel" also please? You know, how the watch feels in the hand, how well it's finished, the quality of the brushing and polishing, etc? I'd be very interested to hear about those, thanks!
I think your judgment is spot-on. Like many, I'm currently a sucker for the vintage trend, but I know that my tastes will change, and so will others'. The Aquis is objectively the best watch here, and will probably age the best too. The CW Trident bronze is currently available for 500 dollars in the sale. It isn't quite as good a watch, as you say, but it has, I think, the same movement as the Orises; with 600 metre water resistance and at a 1/4 of the price, it represents immense value.
Love all three, but I think it’s a bit of a bias to chose the worst version, of the Diver 65 to compete. When you go bi-colour you go ‘80’s banker’ I’ve an Aquis and a Diver’s 65. The single colour steel 65 is a stunning watch. But great content. If you’re comparing steel watches the bi-colour is always gonna lose. Stay consistent man. All steel (colour) or all bi-colour.
I've owned and reviewed the all steel version as well as the 42mm version. Honestly the bico makes no difference as it is still the exact same watch when it comes to each aspect I grade the watches on
Great video bro. Agree with Aquis as the winner. Suggest for the next one doing the Submariner (date), Omega Professional, and perhaps the new Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver SBGA229 (although i'm not sure if you can get your hands on 1 or all of these).
I have never been interested in expensive watches until I saw the captain cook green on a big picture in a jewellery shop and I was obsessed with the design, colour and finish. I started investigating green watches and found the oris aquis 41.5mm green watch and fell in love with it. I think it looks so clean compared with the captain cook. I bought the aquis and haven’t looked back. The bracelet is comfortable, I like that you can see the movement and the sunburst colour with date at 6 o’clock is gorgeous. The only thing I don’t like is that is gains 9 seconds per day
At the start of this video, I would have gone with the Rado, but in the end, I'd have to agree with your final decision. Personally, for my wrist, I'd get the 39mm Aquis. I hope we get to see more of these comparisons. Great video Bruce.
Real shame the Aquis lug design means youre severely limited by strap options .Half the enjoyment I get from a great watch is trying a whole range of dif straps and dont wear bracelets at all, I've turned away from Oris because of that and looking at Ball divers now .
Not to slack on any of these peices, but i found it strange that a Zelos (singapore microbrand) has better lume, bezel action, maybe a better bracelet than some of these for the trade of a basic nh35 movement, and guess what, it costs 300-350 bucks. I guess brand and swiss made is worth alot. It certainly has to do with the level of fit and finish i must presume. The Aquis has backplay, a 1500 ish watch with backplay? Dealbreaker for me personally. Why do you guys think? Edit: I also just love the unique design of all 3 of these!
try a zodiac super sea wolf 53 compression, it's similar in quality than the aquis date but with a better movement for 400$ less! I Had both and loved the 2, but why the oris is more expensive for the same thing and a not as good movement?
The Oris has zero charm or soul. The Captain Cook is the clear winner in most of your categories. The caseback on the Oris is pure ugly. The 65 wins nothing here. The Oris is just a big bulky heavy piece and the Radio movement is in a different class.
