BY UMAR ANSARI
Vacheron Constantin seems to be on a roll and it’s not even half-way through 2016. At this year’s SIHH, the prestige Swiss watchmaker added to its arsenal several new pieces, including the automatic 3-hand 4500V, the Chronograph 5500V, the Ultra-Slim 2000V, and the Ultra-Slim Perpetual Calendar. It also launched new Overseas models, the most well-received of which is the new Overseas World Time 7700V.
Available in three different colors, the timekeeper comes with Vacheron’s well-known world-timer complication that indicates the time in 37 timezones around the globe. We’ve seen world time-incorporated pieces before in pieces like the Jaeger-LeCoultre Geophysic Universal Time and the Montblanc Heritage Spirit Orbis Terrarum. Vacheron’s take, however, hinges on minimalism with a satin-brushed finished world map at the centre of the dial and a nice velvet touch over the oceans.
A translucent lacquered disc with the city names surrounds the diameter of the world map. Day/night indications are indicated by a sapphire disk featuring a greyish tint which is in turn connected to a 24-hour disc. We’re not done with diameters just yet, because there is another one around the day/night disc and it’s a gorgeous velvet-coated ring that tells you the hours and minutes in each time zone.
Sweetening up the piece is the central hour, minute and second hand, all of which are 18K gold and are presented with a white luminescent material to optimize legibility in low-lit environments.
Moving outward, we find a stainless steel case measuring 43.5 mm in diameter, and is 12.6 mm thick, making this bad boy the biggest piece in the new Overseas collection. Much like the other pieces in the collection, there is a soft iron casing ring to provide anti-magnetic protection. In addition, the crown is screwed-down. Water resistance up to 150 metres? You got it. Vacheron mean it when they say it is a traveler’s watch.
If you’re not a metal strap kind of person, fear not because you can easily swap for a rubber strap, or better yet, an alligator leather one. With its easy-fit solution, it’s a breeze to match your timekeeper with the suave look you desire. The Overseas 7700V bears the Geneva Hallmark seal of approval and is stamped onto the movement.
Speaking of the movement, it’s the Vacheron Constantin 2460 WT (World Time) and is similar to the one housed inside the previous Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle World Time. The piece does not lose any lustre in this department either because the movement is a bare 22K gold and operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour.
When it comes to standards, the Overseas 7700V obtains the highest with a 40-hour power reserve. Suffice to say, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas World Time 7700V is combining functionality with a sporty look and a useful worldtimer complication that will be appreciated by travellers and horology enthusiasts across the board – or world shall we say. For more info, please visit vacheron-constantin.com
