A summer morning in Beijing begins long before the city has fully awakened.
For Tan Jianci, the day opens not beneath the glare of cameras, but beneath the disciplined rhythm of a gym session. By mid-morning, he is already on a soundstage, slipping effortlessly into another character as filming continues on his latest drama.
Script rehearsals segue into production meetings, media interviews, social content and creative discussions. Every minute has purpose. Every hour belongs to someone else.
Then, almost improbably, silence.
Thousands of kilometres away from the electric frenzy of celebrity, Tan finds himself standing beside the shimmering waters of Lake Maggiore in Ascona. With its ochre façades, palm-lined promenades and unmistakable Mediterranean character, the lakeside town feels less Swiss than an idyllic Italian village. Gazing across the vast expanse where Switzerland meets Italy, he discovers something unexpected.
Here, time appears suspended.
It is a delicious paradox. Switzerland is synonymous with precision timekeeping, yet on the shores of Lago Maggiore, time seems wonderfully irrelevant. The stillness is profound. The scenery borders on the surreal.
For perhaps the first time in months, Tan allows himself to simply observe—to exchange studio lights for sunlight dancing upon water, applause for birdsong, schedules for serenity.
It is the perfect prelude to understanding Rado.
The acclaimed actor, singer and performer arrived in Switzerland as the Swiss watchmaker’s Global Brand Ambassador, but departed with something considerably deeper: an intimate appreciation of why Rado has earned its enduring reputation as the industry’s “Master of Materials.”
Watching pure zirconium oxide powder gradually transformed into one of watchmaking’s most remarkable materials is a lesson in patience, precision and imagination. Over a meticulous weeks-long process, the powder undergoes injection moulding before being sintered at temperatures reaching 1,450°C.
Precision polishing follows, resulting in high-tech ceramic that is extraordinarily lightweight, intensely scratch-resistant and up to five times harder than steel. Even more remarkable, its colour permeates the material itself rather than merely coating its surface, ensuring it never fades with time.
Innovation, here, is neither slogan nor spectacle.
It is process.
Theory soon gave way to experience.
Interactive demonstrations transformed technical excellence into something instinctively understood. He compared ceramic’s featherweight feel against steel and tungsten of identical volume. He willingly removed his Rado Anatom and attempted to scratch its bracelet using various tools, only to watch the material emerge unmarked.
Another demonstration revealed ceramic’s unique thermal behaviour, warming rapidly to match the temperature of his fingertips, unlike conventional steel.
“I’ve always felt Rado’s watch designs were iconic, but this visit took things to a new level,” Tan reflected. “It helped me understand exactly why it’s known as the Master of Materials—there’s nothing like seeing the process behind high-tech ceramic with your own eyes. I was mesmerised by everything I saw and it helped bring to life why we’re such a good fit. I feel a really close connection with the brand’s creative vision and pioneering mindset and I’m proud to be part of the Rado family.”
The admiration feels entirely reciprocal.
Few contemporary Chinese entertainers embody versatility quite like Tan Jianci. Equally compelling on stage, in the recording studio and before the camera, he has cultivated a career defined not by limitation but by reinvention.
His successful solo music releases continue to resonate with audiences, while his acclaimed performances across television and cinema have established him as one of China’s most magnetic leading men. Rather than chasing trends, Tan has quietly built a reputation for thoughtful artistry—a quality that mirrors Rado’s own philosophy of purposeful innovation over fleeting novelty.
His Swiss itinerary became a journey through craftsmanship and landscape alike. From Interlaken’s elegant Rado boutique to the thunderous waterfalls of Lauterbrunnen and the storybook tranquillity of Lungern, each destination revealed another facet of Switzerland’s enduring charm.
High above Lucerne, the legendary Bürgenstock Hotel provided a spectacular backdrop for an exclusive Rado campaign shoot overlooking one of Europe’s most breathtaking panoramas.
For a manufacture founded in 1917, innovation has never meant abandoning tradition. Instead, Rado has consistently challenged convention through materials science, pioneering the industrial use of high-tech ceramic in watchmaking during the 1980s and forever altering expectations of durability, comfort and design.
Alongside its celebrated partnerships across international sport—from tennis to other global competitions—the brand has remained steadfast in championing performance, precision and progressive engineering.
Perhaps that is why watches such as the Anatom and the True Square Open Heart feel especially relevant today. One wraps the wrist with astonishing ergonomic comfort, while the other transforms intricate mechanics into wearable architecture.
Tan Jianci may have travelled to Switzerland as an ambassador. Yet somewhere between the tranquillity of Ascona and the laboratories of Jura, he became something more compelling—a witness to the extraordinary proposition that the finest watches are not merely instruments for measuring time, but eloquent reminders that the most meaningful moments are those we choose to savour.
Anotom and True Square Open Heart Watches are available now in all Rado boutiques and authorised Rado watch retailers worldwide.
*Photos courtesy of Rado.
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