Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Chronograph is a work of art that truly lives up to its #OneOfNotMany tagline. Firstly, the sunburst satin-finish blue dial immediately catches the attention. Next, it boasts 18 K 5N pink gold hour markers and hands that indicate both hours and minutes. Not to mention the additional amplification in brilliant blue Super-LumiNova.
Certified with the Hallmark of Geneva, the mechanical, self-winding Calibre 5200 is fully developed and manufactured by the Swiss watch manufacturer. Visible through the open-worked case back is its 22 K gold oscillating weight and eclectic wind rose detailing. With 263 components and 54 jewels, the Calibre 5200 provides 52 hours of power reserve.
Aside from the powerful movement, the Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Chronograph (POA) also features 18K 5N pink gold bracelet and two accompanying straps. The first comprises the iconic Maltese cross-shaped links, secured with a triple-blade folding clasp. For more casual alternatives, its substitutes come in blue calfskin leather and blue rubber. Both of these complement the blue-lacquer dial to perfection.
Best of all, the bracelet and straps are easily interchangeable without the need for tools and complicated expertise. In other words, you can switch them up whenever you like. The column-wheel chronograph and date display further round it up as an impressive timepiece for the everyday.
Vacheron Constantin has been flexing much of its creative muscle in its Overseas collection lately, and we’ve seen not only a revamp of the entire Overseas design in general, but also the introduction of client-friendly elements such as the quick-change bracelet/strap system that rolled out at SIHH 2016, as well as the introduction of a new series of movements (the 5xxx series). The Overseas Chronograph has been available in several solid-color versions (white, blue, and brown) and there is also a rather fetching stainless steel model with a pink gold bezel that has a very pleasant, 222 throwback vibe, if you like that sort of thing. However, the monotone dial treatments do make the Overseas Chronograph fall slightly on the elegant side of the sport-elegant divide, and this new version is noticeably racier.
The Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Chronograph is a great looking watch and on the wrist it has real visual punch. The only potential downside is the size – but I should qualify that by saying that it gives the impression of being bigger than it should be, not in absolute terms, but rather, in the context of Vacheron in particular. At 42.5mm x 13.70mm, it’s not excessively large at all by comparison with most self-winding sports chronographs; I just have a sense with Vacheron that overall (high complications and grand comps aside) that their watches seem more Vacheron when they’re more thin than not. However once you wear the Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Chronograph for a while, you sort of forget about that and just enjoy the watch for what it is – a very refined, but still visually dynamic, example of the art of the automatic chronograph.