Vacheron Constantin Overseas Gray Automatic Chronograph

Officially presented earlier this year, the new Vacheron Constantin Overseas Gray automatic watch is offered in a masculine, yet compact 42 mm steel case and looks like a great competitor to the huge Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore.

In a couple of months Vacheron Constantin, the brand that shares its title of the Greatest Swiss manufacture of all times with such living legends as Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe, will start selling a new edition of its Overseas model range of sporty watches.

The model will be sold both as a chronograph, as well as a simpler three-hander. Both versions will be equipped with magnetically shielded in-house automatic movements.

First presented in its current form five years ago in 2004, the Overseas was initially available in gold and steel. Now the choice of materials also includes titanium. That is why it is called the Overseas Gray.

Well, to be frank, the presence of the light-weight material is limited only to the watch’s bezel — the rest of the Overseas Gray body is made of stainless steel, which seems to be brushed to achieve that grayish look.

The watch’s dial is also made of some gray-colored metal. Together with a lot lighter hour, minute and second hands as well as the “3″, “6″, “9″ and “12″ numerals made of polished white gold and covered with SuperLuminova, the choice of materials provides for a high-contrast highly-legible layout.

The look is great, even the Overseas Gray Automatic Chronograph doesn’t look too busy with details and you can actually tell how much time have passed without putting too much strain on your eyes.

As to the watch’s overall look, it feels a little bit dull, even compared to a lot less expensive IWC Big Ingenieur Chronograph model.

Even the elaborated titanium bezel, which is actually (please, correct me if I am wrong here) a stylized Maltese cross, doesn’t quite save the situation. I guess the case is just too big comparatively to the bezel and the dial itself.

Like a pink Bentley with chromed wheels, it screams “Look at me, you, punks! I’m so rich I can even buy this monstrosity just to piss you-off!” Or something like that.

Photos: Vacheron Constantin

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Gray watch’s specification:

Price range: N/A, I guess it will hover inside the $15,000 – $20,000 range
Movement: VC caliber 1226 for the Automatic and VC caliber 1137 for the Chronograph watch, magnetically shielded
Complications: Chronograph, date
Power reserve: N/A
Case material: Steel, titanium bezel
Case dimensions: 42 mm
Case height: N/A
Dial: Darker shade of gray
Water resistance: 150 m
Strap: Mouse gray alligator leather strap and a black rubber band
Crystal: Sapphire