Vacheron Constantin Overseas Gray Automatic Chronograph

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

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.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Gray watch’s specification:

Price range: N/A, I guess it will hover inside the $15,000 - $20,000 range
Movement: 1226 calibre for the Automatic and 1137 calibre 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 and a black rubber
Crystal: Sapphire