How sporty is the sports watch from a ultra conservative watch brand? Sportier than you make think, but the watch will never let you forget its heritage or pedigree. These are three Vacheron Constantin Overseas watches, with at least two of them from their newer Overseas Gray collection. The watches are the workhorses of the well-regarded Swiss brand that is typically populated by watches that prefer not to get even remotely dirty in their course of duties. With literally decades of design history under their belt the Overseas collection is modern compared to their prior versions, but are still the old timer style wise in the luxury sport watch world.
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Older designs stick around because they look good and work. Porsche 911 cars haven’t changed radically in form since the 1980s really. There is something to say about sticking with “tried and true.” Lots of very modern designs end up looking stale or even homely a year or two after they are released. How is that when you got so excited about them when they first were announced? This is “novelty shock” and smart aficionado’s know how to look past it when possible. The opposite of that is having an “eye for classics.” Vacheron Constantin will not achieve what Rolex did with the Submariner, but the Overseas still have a decent look to it.
Finishing on the watches is outstanding. The roughly 42mm wide cases are typically in steel, but something in other materials as well. Dials are great to look at and easy to read. Around the dials is a modified Maltese cross which is the brand’s logo. It makes for an interesting look – that is thematically carried over into the bracelet. The dials often have flat or textured dials and a relatively high level of contrast between the face and the hour indicators and the hands. This is sporty Vacheron Constantin style, as sporty as the brand can get without looking silly. The three watches here are all good choices. I especially like the handsome and ultra legible chronograph Overseas Gray model. Aside from looking “proper” they have in-house made Vacheron Constantin mechanical movements that bear the Seal of Geneva. This is at least something you aren’t going to find in too many sport watches. At the same time, Vacheron Constantin has some very stiff competition from other brands with good looking sport watches with in-house movements. In the end, it might be the Vacheron Constantin brand image that sells these watches as much as the watches themselves.
Images and text by Ariel Adams.
