One Watch to rule them all, One Watch to find them,
One Watch to bring them all and in the darkness bind them....
The Vacheron Constantin Overseas, Refernz 4500V, presented below, has the absolute potential to give the other watches a very long break in the darkness of the watch boxes. Why this is so, will arise for the inclined reader in the further course of this presentation.
As it is the case with watch collectors, we are all caught in an unwritten law: after the last watch is before the next watch. And of course it was the same with me after my last watch purchase. And since I somehow do not devote myself to the romantic wishful thinking of the one who can really take away a watch that could be the only one, I also started to let my gaze wander beyond the usual waters. I was able to discover a lot there, watches that I liked more or less, watches that were far beyond the budgets that could be realized for me, and watches that started to haunt my head, but none that would have made the wish for her and that would pull the trigger.
Of course, I also had a close look at the other two colleagues from the "Holy Trinity", AP and PP, but neither Nautilus nor Royal Oak could convince me one hundred percent. Undoubtedly nice watches, but it just didn't tick, so I almost stopped searching.
Until the day I saw a user picture of the new Vacheron Constantin Overseas with a blue dial in a forum. By then it was all about me and further research only increased my desire. In order to keep a story short, which probably each of you has experienced yourself, at some point the decision was made that it must be exactly this watch. Unfortunately there was a problem, and the problem was called Corona and closed boutiques. First of all, I contacted Vacheron Constantin in writing and found out more information about the overseas. And then waited impatiently when the shops were allowed to open their doors again.
On May 5, 2020 the time had come, the watch was reserved for me and was waiting at Bucherer. I was very excited while driving to the shop, because pictures on the Internet are a tried and tested way to fall in love with watches, but real love and passion only develop when you have skin contact with the object of desire. How will the watch work on my arm, will the finesse of the workmanship really inspire me as I hoped, how will the dial shine under different light sources?
To put it in one sentence: It was love at first sight and after a very pleasant consultation and presentation at Bucherer (including obligatory gifts and additional items like an additional link for the bracelet, second rubber strap) we exchanged card with watch and I left the shop an hour later as an overjoyed dream watch owner.
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Let's get to the essence of a clock - the movement. The automatic caliber 5100 was specially designed and developed by Vacheron Constantin for the revision of the Overseas in 2016 in-house. It consists of 172 parts and oscillates at 28,800 v.p.h (4Hz) and has a power reserve of 60 hours thanks to 2 barrels. The Overseas is also protected against magnetic field influences by a soft iron cage and has a water resistance of 150m.
The sapphire crystal caseback provides a view of the 22 carat gold rotor decorated with a wind rose. The decoration of the work is simply fantastically beautiful and of course the movement (like the case) is also signed with the coveted Geneva hallmark, which guarantees a high manufacturing standard, both in terms of the reliability of a watch and its workmanship from an aesthetic point of view.
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And that brings us to the external aesthetics of this watch, the obvious attributes. I find the proportions of the overseas very comfortable and with 41mm diameter and 11mm height at the same time elegant and sporty. The combination of the brushed and polished parts of the case fits very well with the integrated stainless steel band, which picks up and continues these patterns. The processing is on an enormously high level, all transitions are precise and sharp, the general finishing and the quality of all materials is just amazing and appealing. I've never had anything like this in my hands before and I can't stop stroking the edges and flanks.
The dial, protected by sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides, is framed by the round inner edge of the partly polished, partly satined bezel. The striking bezel is obviously inspired by the Maltese cross - the logo and trademark of the brand for many years - and contributes to the sporty and distinctive appearance of the overseas.
And so we come to the secret star of my Overseas, the incredibly blue of the dial. I think the reference with the white dial has a sunburst finish, but according to my research, the blue dial was used with a special and elaborate paint job. However, if you don't fall in love with this blue, you don't have a passion for blue dials. And now to the next highlight, the indezes and hands. Both made of white gold and precisely filled with luminescent material, I have rarely seen structures so elegant and matching the dial. And the missing texts such as Automatic, Antimagnetic and Superlative or other irrelevant nonsense also contribute to the elegant and timeless appearance of the Overseas. If they had put the Geneve near the six o'clock position now, the design would be perfect. Oh yes, the inconspicuous but very well-worked date window was fortunately repositioned where the watch God wanted it: at three o'clock. Thanks for that, because the date in the 2nd generation had slipped down.
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And now we have to talk about another feature of the watch, the innovative strap changing system and the included straps, something I’m enjoying very much.
The watch comes with three straps. A breathtakingly complex and beautifully crafted stainless steel bracelet, a dark blue alligator strap and a blue rubber strap. You could write your own review of the bracelet but first I want to go into the band changing system.
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All three straps can be changed within seconds without tools. Of course, this contributes enormously to the versatility of the watch, because you can always have a second strap with you and immediately switch to a more elegant strap for the evening after a sporty day. I think all three bands are beautifully crafted and they fit the watch perfectly. Each one gives the Overseas its own character, making it one for all occasions.
Both the lashing of the straps and the changing of the folding clasp between the strap and the rubber is carried out via a clever click or twist mechanism. At no time do I have the feeling that it is less stable than traditional spring bars and I am completely enthusiastic about the system. After 24 hours I have changed the bands dozens of times and it is almost effortless.
Apart from the variability of the overseas through the strap changing system, when I look into my crystal ball, the overseas will really banish all the other watches in my collection into the darkness of the boxes for a very long time. Even my beloved Explorer will get a pretty long break now. But what worries me even more is the slowly creeping thought of rethinking my entire collection and possibly better adapting it to the new flagship.
The Vacheron Constantin Overseas pushes all the buttons for me: technology and quality, workmanship and used materials, design and appearance and above all its effect on the arm. All my expectations were met, sometimes even exceeded. This watch leaves almost nothing to be desired and will accompany me for the rest of my life.
So it’s not surprising that for me it’s the watch,
the one watch to rule them all.....
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