Rado
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Swiss watch brand known for high-tech ceramic watches.
Rado makes its ceramic watches in its own factories in Switzerland, where legal wages are about a living wage.
Also worth knowing
It shows where its movements, cases and parts come from.
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Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 6 of 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 6 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in Switzerland are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneEarlier stages shown
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: Conflict-free: diamonds, gems and gold traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined (the Kimberley Process alone isn't enough)
Red flags 0
None found.
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Open supply chain |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Rado's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland | Regular violations | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Passes the raw-material check for jewellery and watches: conflict-free diamonds, gems and gold traced to the mine, lab-grown, recycled or Fairmined (the Kimberley Process alone isn't enough).
- Owns or runs its own production
- Uses high-risk raw materials such as tanned leather, mica or artisanal gold.
- Traces high-risk raw materials to the mine or farm and fixes problems found
- Shows where its earlier production stages happen (materials and components), and they're in low-risk countries or independently audited
Research notes Rado's high-tech ceramic cases and bracelets are made at the Rado Factory in Boncourt, Switzerland, run with Swatch Group's Comadur; Rado is based in Lengnau. Swatch Group says primary gold comes only from certified industrial mines (all from Australia in 2023-2025), origin-tested by trace-element analysis, and its gold foundry Nivarox-FAR is RJC certified. Its supplier code bans child labour and requires independent sourcing audits of supplier sites every two years, but it publishes no supplier list, audit results or living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | WWF's 2023 watch and jewellery rating placed Swatch Group brands, including Rado, in the 'upper midfield' for environmental and social practices. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | Its Swatch Group company page lists no labour abuse allegations about the group's factories or suppliers. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Jewelry and Watch Brands Must Be More Transparent, Says WWF (Rapaport, 2023) · search the archive · WWF 2023 rating placed Swatch Group brands in the upper midfield.
- Rado's first Australian flagship joins Collins Street (Forbes Australia, 2026) · search the archive · Rado opened its first Australian boutique at 298 Collins Street, Melbourne, in 2026.
- Rado produziert Hightech-Keramik in der eigenen Rado Factory (Bilanz, 2023) · search the archive · Nearly all Rado ceramic parts are made at the Rado Factory in Boncourt, opened 2023 and run with Comadur.
- Inside RADO's High-Tech Ceramic Process at Comadur (The Calibrated Wrist, 2025) · search the archive · Rado builds its high-tech ceramic watches at Swatch Group's Comadur facility in Boncourt, Switzerland.
- Swatch Group - Rado · search the archive · Rado Watch Co. Ltd is based in Lengnau, Switzerland; part of the Swatch Group.
- Swatch Group - Sourcing of materials · search the archive · Primary gold 100% from Australian mines in 2023-2025, origin-tested; Nivarox-FAR RJC certified; supplier sites audited at least every two years.
- WorldTempus: Movement manufacturer - what is ETA? · search the archive · ETA supplies movements to Swatch Group brands incl. Rado; most components come from sister firms such as Nivarox-FAR (balance springs, escapements)
Company details
- Owned by
- The Swatch Group
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Rado ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/rado, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Rado.