The Best Affordable Black Bay 54? It’s the Rado Captain Cook 37

Read this for a recap on my almost decade-long journey to find the perfect diver. When it comes to the best value-proposition for a smaller dive watch? The Tudor Black Bay 54 takes the cake. Since it’s release last year in 2023, I’ve been on the hunt for an affordable black bay 54 alternative. And truth be told, I’ve had zero luck. I tried some Seiko divers, microbrands; you know the story.

Just a couple of months ago, I was offered a trade for my Oris ChronOris. The kind gentleman offered up his Rado Captain Cook 37mm Limited Edition. I knew about the Captain Cook, and I even tried it on a few times in in stores. But I could never pull the trigger But that was until I came across this LE version. It reminded me of the BB54 with the small case and the perfect wearing experience. Having had the Rado Captain Cook 37 for a couple of months. I can confidently say it’s the best affordable black bay 54 alternative.

History on the Rado & the Captain Cook

Rado was started by three brothers: Fritz, Ernst and Werner Schlup. In 1917, as watchmakers themselves, ventured into the industry as Schlup & Co. It wasnt until the end of WWII when the Schlup brothers went from movement manufacturers to form Rado.

In 1962, Rado launched their first ever dive watch, keeping up with the trends at that time. Named after the famous explorer James Cook, Rado’s signature skin diver, the Captain Cook was born. Did you know that only 8,000 Captain Cook’s were produced until 1968? Eventually, Rado became part of the Swatch Group in 1986, known as SMH then.

The Rado Captain Cook LE Reissue was first announced in Baselworld 2017. It came in several different sizes. A monstrous 45mm, a goldilocks 42mm, and the small-wrist-friendly, 37mm LE edition. And 7 years later, it’s my pick for the best affordable black bay 54 alternative. Read on to see why.

Rado Captain Cook 37 Dimensions

Case & Bezel

Like any other vintage pieces/reissues, the case is broken into three distinct parts – bezel, midcase, and caseback. The midcase is extremely thin and comes fully polished (i.e., fingerprint & scratch magnet). Lugs are long and angle sharply at around 45°, which makes it sit perfect on my 6 inch wrists. I’ve got to say the the Captain Cook exudes a level of vintage warmth that is hard to find at this price range.

The bezel is another unique characteristic on the Captain Cook. It’s ceramic in nature, has a glossy black finish, oh and there’s an inward concave towards the bezel. Accompanied with the domed sapphire crystal, it’s a look that you won’t get anywhere else. That being said I have a huge gripe – the 1mm overhang of the bezel. Given how small the crown already is, the bezel overhang essentially makes the crown operation harder than brain surgery. Seriously, I can only operate using one finger on the underside, it’s not great.

Once again the thinness of the Rado extends to the caseback. No protrusions aka my favorite, and it’s decorated with seahorses and stars. Overall, I’m a huge fan of the case, think Sinn 104 case, but way smaller.

Dial & Hands

One of the reason why I love the Captain Cook is it’s uniqueness. Yes it’s just another vintage reissue diver, but it’s different.

We’ll start with the dynamic dial which changes color depending on the angle, and the environment. In the dark, it looks black, but becomes gradually grey-er the closer you get towards the dial. Then in direct sunlight, it becomes brown with tinge of grey. It’s like having three dials in one watch. Speaking of dynamic, the Rado anchor at the twelve changes positions based on gravity. And it isn’t just a gimmick either, if it stops moving, it signaling that the movement requires a service.

I’ve never been a fan of faux patina or yellow-ish indices, but I can forgive the vintage nature of the Rado. It does blend nicely with the dynamic dial colors, but I’m just not a fan. The arrow handset follow the same patina, and high polished finish. A date window replaces the 3 o’clock index, and the date is in red – staying faithful to the original.

Bracelet

I’ll be completely transparent here, the bracelet is unusable – at least for me. Don’t get me wrong it looks good on the bracelet. Built quality is standard of a higher-end Swatch Group timepiece. But the lack of any micro-adjustment, and the length of each link? It means I could never find a perfect fit, let alone a good fit on my 6 inch wrists. It’s either way too loose, or it’ preparing me for amputation – there’s no in between. That’s why the bracelet on the Captain Cook 37 is unusable for me.

Another complaint I’ve got is the 19mm lug width on the Captain Cook 37. Just why? Rado, if you’re not going to have micro-adjustment, at least give us some standard lug sizing? Luckily 19mm straps are a lot more common these days, and I’ve got mine on a standard 20mm.

I am quite disappointed by the bracelet. The Rado Captain Cook could’ve been the perfect vintage reissue diver for smaller wrists, at the affordable range. You know, an affordable black bay 54 alternative. But the bracelet had to be a let down. What a shame. But look, don’t let the bracelet overshadow the value-proposition that is the Rado Captain Cook. Chances are, you’ll find a better fit on the bracelet than me.

Comfort & Wearability

I almost pulled the trigger when I tried on the Tudor Black Bay 54 in stores for the first time. The thinness, and how well it wore on my six inch wrists almost made me disregard the price tag. I can confidently say the Rado Captain Cook 37 shares the same wearing experience. I have mine on a 20mm grey NATO and it’s so comfortable on my tiny wrists. Because of how slender the Captain Cook 37 is, your wrists won’t experience fatigue. You can wear this all-day-everyday, and not worry about your wrists getting tired.

The Captain Cook 37 is extremely versatile, much like the Tudor BB54. It’s designed to be a vintage diver that accompanies you for all your adventures. It’s definitely a strap monster too, but bear in mind the unusual 19mm lug-width. I love mine on my gray NATO, and I’ve already ordered extra 19mm bond-style straps for it.

THE Affordable Black Bay 54 Alternative?

It’s hard to argue the Rado Captain Cook isn’t THE affordable black bay 54 alternative. Both are vintage inspired, similar in their 37mm sizing, and are no nonsense “tool” watches. The timeline matches perfectly too. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, there was a huge boom of dive watches. Tudor released the Black Bay 1958, and within a few years, Rado responded with the Captain Cook.

Both of these watches were part of the boom of dive watches. And if we were to stay true to the term alternatives. Then it’s impossible to argue the Rado Captain Cook 37 isn’t one of them. I’m here to add that the Rado Captain Cook 37 is THE BEST affordable black bay 54 alternative.

Rado Captain Cook 37: Closing Thoughts

Aesthetics: What’s not to love about a faithful reissue of Rado’s first ever diver? Stays true to tradition and design from the 1960s, it’ll satisfy your vintage diver cravings that’s for sure.

Comfort: At 37mm, it’s currently the most comfortable diver I own. It’s a real shame the bracelet doesn’t fit my wrist, if it did, this would be getting a perfect score on comfort.

Price: These used to go for USD$1900 before they were discontinued. Seriously, for less than half the price of a Tudor Black Bay 54/58, you’re getting a true value-proposition with heritage, and quality.

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