Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time: VC Hits the High Seas (VIDEO)

This Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time is a stainless steel blade pointed straight at the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus. With VC’s world-class finish and a complicated caliber from Jaeger-LeCoultre in the engine room, this flagship sports watch is leading the line against Vacheron‘s traditional haut-de-gamme rivals.

Vacheron Constantin enjoys a special relationship with the U.S. market. From the railroad chronometers of the late 19th century to the 1919 and 1921 “American” models to this Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time, the link between VC and the USA has been inextricable. The very name “Overseas” pays tribute to Francois Constantin’s pivotal 1819 voyage to build his brand in the USA, and the engraved image a full-rigged ship acknowledges the seminal event on the case back of each Overseas Dual Time.

In part because of that solid engraved case back, the massive 42mm stainless steel Overseas Dual Time feels more substantial than a typical large steel sports watch. Unfettered by any need to visually recapitulate decades of history, the progressive style and scale of the Overseas ensures that each element is designed with interdependent intent as part of a cohesive vision.

For an example of what can happen when watchmakers try to reconcile vintage-style proportions with modern case dimensions, look no further than the awkward lug-to-bracelet asymmetry on the Rolex Deepsea…

…Vacheron fears no such constrains. Every facet of the tapered Maltese Cross bracelet links is finished so as to assure silky-smooth wrist feel. Despite its heft, the bracelet never pinches skin or catches arm hair. A double-deployant clasp exudes vault-like quality, and the broad case back spreads its mass evenly to avoid hot spots on the forearm. Comfort is the prevailing theme.

A cool silvered dial with cross-hatch guilloche and applied white gold details emphasizes the premium pedigree of the Overseas Dual Time. Vacheron Constantin’s designers have created a sports watch par excellence, but the Overseas manifests the unspoken Vacheron design ethic whereby each model, regardless of product class, must pass muster in a tux.

A second time zone with AM/PM indicator at six o’clock keeps track of distant locations while a power reserve indicator at nine o’clock tracks the state of wind. Unseen below the glistening silver visage is a full soft iron “Faraday” case that shields the VC 1222 automatic caliber from the magnetic flux of modern office equipment, home theater setups, and car stereos.

The VC 1222 hails from a long line of complicated calibers developed for Vacheron Constantin by Vallee de Joux movement masters Jaeger-LeCoultre. Long revered by connoisseurs as the “watchmaker’s watchmaker,” Jaeger-LeCoultre has produced movements for the likes of Patek Philippe, Cartier, Audemars Piguet, Girard-Perregaux, and yes, Vacheron itself.

See this outstanding Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time in high-resolution images with extensive Vacheron Constantin accessories on www.watchuwant.com.