BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Vacheron Constantin wowed us several times over at Watches & Wonders Geneva with their special 270th anniversary pieces. It feels like it was just yesterday that we were running around Switzerland trying to capture ’em all, and now a new watch from the brand with the Maltese Cross is on the horizon. Say hello to the next 270th anniversary piece and the brand’s first-ever minute repeating Overseas watch, the Overseas Grand Complication Openface ref 6510V/110T-128C.
The Overseas is not Vacheron Constantin’s answer to Patek Philippe’s Nautilus and Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, that watch was called the 222 and is currently on sale in limited numbers as a modern re-edition. The Overseas did spawn from the 222, which was made for the brand’s 222nd anniversary, and it now takes the smart/casual sports watch fight to the others.
Out of the others, only Audemars Piguet makes something at this level of complication. Of course, a Nautilus Chronograph Travel Time is nothing to be sniffed at, but Patek Philippe has a strong reputation for its complicated dress watches and seems to focus its attention there. That allows Vacheron Constantin to slide in with the Overseas Grand Complication Openface.
The watch has four main complications, these being the tourbillon and perpetual calendar, both of which are visible on the dial, and the minute repeater and power reserve indicator, which are visible through the caseback. The openworked dial with splashes of blue seems rather legible and sensible. Measuring 44.5mm x 13.1mm this watch is quite large, though thankfully quite thin, and the titanium case with matching bracelet (and also a leather and rubber strap) will help keep it wearably light. Water resistance is 30m, which is quite impressive given that minute repeaters usually get no water resistance at all, thanks to that doohickey on the side.
Said doohickey activates the minute repeater, which chimes the time displayed by the hands. It was at one point supposedly used so you could tell the time without lights, just another issue of the past, but it is now here as something to be admired for the engineering that goes into it, rather than its actual function. The overall movement, the calibre 2755 QP, is as beautiful as you’d expect it to be with dead straight stripes and all the polishing on those 602 pieces you could ever dream of. It’s also manually wound, with a power reserve of around 58 hours and a 2.5Hz beat rate.
As for production? Well, we’ve no idea. Vacheron Constantin couldn’t let us photograph one as they’re very exclusive pieces. As far as we know, they’re not limited edition watches but are limited by how quickly they can be made, which is not very. We also don’t know the price, as it’s upon request.
