The new Overseas Chronograph “Panda” is all you love about this iconic luxury sporty-chic line and more.
The spirit of exploration belies the Overseas collection, made stronger when Vacheron Constantin launched its first chronographs in the collection in 1999. Since then, this symbol of travel and escapism has made a mark in many watch lovers’ hearts. Equally sporty and elegant, its visual signature is distinct, characterized by the six-sided Maltese Cross-shaped bezel and integrated bracelet with geometrically shaped links.
Since their creation more than 20 years ago, Overseas chronographs have always been synonymous with exploration for the Manufacture… a desire for controlled yet subtly disruptive breakthroughs, a desire to explore other watchmaking territories and to experiment with new creative fields.
Christian Selmoni, Style & Heritage Director of Vacheron Constantin
The latest 42.5mm steel “Panda” version of the Overseas Chronograph keeps this tradition. Playing with black and white contrasts in the design, this aesthetic principle recalls motorsports-dedicated timepieces of the 1960s, reinforcing its sporty character. Aesthetically, the two-tone visual impact is powerful and distinctive – the silver-toned, sunburst satin-finished dial is a stunning clean backdrop for the snailed black counters and black velvet-finished flange contrasted against 18K white gold hour-markers and hours, minutes, seconds and counters hands, highlighted with Super-LumiNova®. Functionally, the light-dark contrast enhances visibility and highlights the indications provided by the chronograph function.
At the mechanical heart of the watch beats the reliable in-house Calibre 5200, a self-winding column-wheel chronograph movement with a 52-hour power reserve. It features a 22K gold oscillating weight adorned with a wind rose, a symbol of travel and exploration, visible through the sapphire caseback. This impressive movement has a twin barrel fitted with a column wheel, complete with a Maltese cross-shaped screw used to start, stop and reset the chronograph function. A vertical clutch prevents possible jerking of the hands when starting the chronograph, while a soft iron casing ring provides anti-magnetic protection.
Like its predecessors, this new addition to the Overseas collection continues to be versatile in style for every occasion – a useful trait for travel, which also stays true to the exploratory nature of this horological expression. Using an intuitive tool-free interchangeable wristband system, you can switch among the signature steel bracelet with half-Maltese cross links, a dressier black calfskin strap with grey stitching or sporty black rubber strap, to transit from one occasion to another with ease.
Images courtesy of Vacheron Constantin, artwork by Curatedition. All rights reserved.
Related Links:
Vacheron Constantin “Exploring the Space Between”
Vacheron Constantin: Openworked Wonder
Triple Extension: The Vacheron Constantin Overseas In New Guises
The Technical Side of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Collection 2020: Motion of Time
