In my view, ‘sports-luxe’ watches don’t get much better than the Overseas. It’s more subtle than a Royal Oak or a Nautilus, with just as much heritage and equally over engineered. The Jorg Hysek design was first introduced in 1977 as the 222 (celebrating the 222nd birthday of the Genevan brand) and although over the past 43 years there have been subtle design evolutions, for the most part the visual appeal remains the same.
It’s integrated bracelet, Maltese cross notched-bezel and angular design are indictive of 70’s design cues, yet they still resonate with watch-lovers just as well today as in the louche, disco era.
Although the most basic of the pack, the 41mm, self-winding iteration of the current Overseas is also the most restrained and therefore, most pleasing to the eye. Currently, there are various combinations available, steel with a blue dial, steel with a black dial, gold with a silver dial; oddly though not the on-trend colourway of blue and gold.
If, like me, you’re fan of this this heady combination, the only option up until now from the Overseas roster would be the superb, yet eye-wateringly pricey Perpetual Calendar we reviewed last year. Thankfully, for 2020 Vacheron Constantin have just announced the launch of the new Overseas Self Winding 41mm in gold and blue. It’s certainly no ground-breaking release, but it’s an overdue one.
Inside you have the same movement as the other Overseas Automatics, VC’s 5100 automatic calibre; there’s the same quick-change strap, enabling you to switch from lavish three-linked gold to blue leather in seconds and the same flawless level of finishing viewable through the sapphire caseback. Much the same then – except even better.
It seems like a natural step to combine the soulful gold version introduced in 2016 with the lacquered blue dial that was first seen on steel in 2018. It may not be the biggest watch news of 2020, but damn does it look good.
Price & Specs:
Model Name: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding Gold & Blue
Ref: 4500V/110R-B705
Case/Dial: 41mm diameter x 11mm height, 18K 5N pink gold
Water Resistance: 150m (15 bar)
Movement: Calibre 5100, in-house, automatic
Frequency: 28,800 vph (4 Hz)
Power Reserve: 60h
Functions: Hours, minutes, central seconds, date
Strap: Pink gold bracelet, blue alligator leather or blue rubber
Price: €49,800 EUR
More details at Vacheron Constantin.
