BY JOVAN K
The story of the Overseas goes back to 1977, when Vacheron Constantin introduced the 222, followed by the 333 in 1984 and the Phidias in 1989. These watches established the foundation for what would eventually become the Overseas, which made its debut in 1996 as a successor to the 222 and continued the idea of a luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet. Over the years, the Overseas has gone through several updates, with the current generation arriving in 2016 and bringing with it, among other versions, the Perpetual Calendar.
Now, 30 years after the original Overseas was introduced, Vacheron Constantin is marking the anniversary with a new version of the Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. The formula is fairly straightforward: an 18k white gold case, a new azure blue dial, and the same ultra-thin perpetual calendar movement that has made this particular Overseas one of the more interesting watches in the collection.
The case measures 41.5mm x 8.1mm, which is still impressively slim for an automatic perpetual calendar. It is made from 18k white gold and combines polished and satin-brushed surfaces, with the six-notched bezel sitting on a round plinth. Sapphire crystal protects the lovely dial, while the soft-iron casing provides anti-magnetic protection. Water resistance is rated at 50 meters, and unlike the standard Overseas models, the perpetual calendar uses a push-pull crown.
The big visual change is the new lacquered azure blue dial, which takes its inspiration from the blue introduced with the 2016 Overseas collection. This version is lighter and less saturated, with a sunray finish on the main dial that contrasts nicely with the recessed and snailed calendar sub-dials.
The layout remains familiar, with the 48-month cycle and leap-year indication at 12 o’clock, the date at 3 o’clock, and the day of the week at 9 o’clock. The moon phase sits at 6 o’clock, showing an 18k white gold moon against an azure blue sky with engraved stars. The white gold hands and applied markers are filled with blue Super-LumiNova, while light blue is also used for the peripheral 60-minute scale and leap-year indication.
Inside is the automatic calibre 1120 QP/1, measuring just 4.05mm thick. The movement consists of 276 components and 36 jewels, runs at 19,800 vibrations per hour, or 2.75Hz, and provides a 40-hour power reserve. It handles the hours, minutes, day, date, month, leap year, and moon phase, while keeping the overall watch at just 8.1mm thick.
Through the sapphire case back, you can see the 22k gold rotor with its compass rose engraving. The movement is finished with Côtes de Genève, mirror-polished chamfers, perlage, solarised wheels and micro-polished screw heads, and is certified with the Hallmark of Geneva.
The Overseas has always been about versatility, and that carries over here with the 18k white gold bracelet and two additional rubber straps. The bracelet uses the half Maltese Cross design and has a triple-blade folding clasp with 2mm of micro-adjustment on each side. The white and denim blue rubber straps can be swapped without tools using the quick-change system, and both come with an interchangeable white gold pin buckle.
The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin 30th Anniversary 4300V/220G-H119 is limited to 200 pieces and priced at US$132,000. It is not a completely new Overseas Perpetual Calendar, but rather a new take on an existing model, and I think that works well for the 30th anniversary.
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