Vacheron Constantin Overseas

The Holy Trinity of watch brands: Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin. Far less understood than either of its respected compatriots, Vacheron Constantin has a legacy of producing some of the very finest high horology complications in history - and some of the loveliest. Sports watches came later to VC, as pressure from the new 'Sports Luxury' category introduced in the early 1970s forced the storied brand to evolve. Their entry came in the form of the 222, from which the design language was inspiration for the current Overseas collection. The Overseas models compete with other watches such as the Patek Philippe Nautilus, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, IWC Ingenieur, and Piaget Polo in the category of 'freshest take on 1970s sport icons', and often finds itself winning its category in terms of design, value, and variety of complications. This particular example, an Overseas Reference 4500V, features a solid stainless steel case with an integrated-style (but easily swappable!) bracelet with a signed deployant clasp, a Maltese Cross stylized bezel, a signed screw-down crown, and an absolutely stunning, deep glossy blue dial with applied luminous indices and a matching handset. Powering this piece is Vacheron's automatic winding Calibre 5100 with a 60-hour power reserve and a gorgeous engraved 22k yellow gold rotor — thankfully visible via a sapphire exhibition caseback. The current Overseas collection is not only — dare we say, great value — next to similar integrated bracelet pieces from other notable brands, but also are proper sports watches. You get the sense that Vacheron wants you to use them, offering real water resistance across the board, screw-down pushers on the chronograph, and a handy dual-time complication on the travel piece. This is a great opportunity to snag a proper modern sports watch from one of the very best in the business!