Cover Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra‑Thin 41.5mm watch in white gold with an azure dial and Overseas Self‑Winding Ultra‑Thin 39.5mm watch in platinum with a salmon‑lacquered dial
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra‑Thin 41.5mm watch in white gold with an azure dial and Overseas Self‑Winding Ultra‑Thin 39.5mm watch in platinum with a salmon‑lacquered dial
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Thirty years after Vacheron Constantin introduced the Overseas, three new interpretations chart different paths through the collection’s enduring spirit of exploration
As its name suggests, the Overseas is a watch conceived with the wider world in mind. Introduced by Vacheron Constantin in 1996, it was born with an identity revolving around travel, movement and exploration. Over the decades, this singular watch grew into a signature collection, yet its core themes remain unchanged—speaking not only to the practical sense of crossing borders and time zones, but also to the broader idea of setting out, discovering new horizons and adapting to wherever the journey leads. This philosophy is mirrored in its sporty‑chic character, which beautifully balances the robustness and versatility expected of a watch for an active lifestyle with the refinement of traditional Genevan watchmaking.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Overseas collection, and the adventurous spirit that has been around from day one continues to take form in stunning novelties. The newest of the three, the Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra‑Thin, arrived this September to celebrate the milestone in azure—a colour particularly suited to a collection associated with open horizons. Limited to 200 pieces, this iteration features a 41.5mm case and an integrated bracelet fashioned in 18K white gold, complemented by a lacquered dial in azure. A departure from the standard line‑up’s vibrant blue, this lighter, more nuanced shade extends to the calendar counters and moon‑phase display, creating a monochromatic canvas whose tone changes subtly with the light.
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Above Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra‑Thin 41.5mm watch in white gold with an azure dial
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra‑Thin 41.5mm watch in white gold with an azure dial
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Powering this limited edition is one of watchmaking’s most useful long‑term complications: the manufacture Calibre 1120 QP/1, which automatically accounts for months of 28, 30 and 31 days as well as leap years, displaying the date, day, month, leap‑year cycle and moon phases. Provided it remains running, the calendar requires no correction until 2100, the next century year that will not be a leap year under the Gregorian calendar.
What makes this complexity even more impressive is the micro-engineering behind it. The self‑winding calibre measures just 4.05mm thick, allowing the watch to maintain an incredibly sleek profile of just 8.1mm. Visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, the movement’s 276 components showcase traditional finishing—including Côtes de Genève, perlage and bevelling—while the 22K gold oscillating weight is engraved with a compass rose, the enduring symbol of the Overseas collection and its exploratory spirit.
This commemorative Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra‑Thin comes on the heels of other additions to the collection unveiled at Watches and Wonders Geneva this April: the Overseas Self‑Winding Ultra‑Thin, debuting a slim new calibre and pairing a platinum case with a salmon dial; and the Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points, which embodies the idea of travel most literally through four references inspired by compass points.
Above Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra‑Thin 41.5mm watch in white gold with an azure dial and Overseas Self‑Winding Ultra‑Thin 39.5mm watch in platinum with a salmon‑lacquered dial
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra‑Thin 41.5mm watch in white gold with an azure dial and Overseas Self‑Winding Ultra‑Thin 39.5mm watch in platinum with a salmon‑lacquered dial
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Retaining the model’s signature pared‑back display of just hours and minutes, the new Overseas Self‑Winding Ultra‑Thin introduces a 39.5mm case in platinum, a salmon dial and a groundbreaking movement seven years in the making: the in‑house Calibre 2550. At just 2.4mm thick, it sits within Vacheron Constantin’s long tradition of ultra‑thin movements but has a decidedly contemporary architecture. Eschewing multi‑level layouts, this modern engine flattens its entire gear train onto a single plane for structural stability, integrating a dense platinum micro‑rotor and a suspended twin‑barrel system to deliver a robust 80‑hour power reserve despite its slenderness. Consequently, the watch stands at just 7.35mm tall, making it the thinnest Overseas ever created.
In a first for the collection, both the case and integrated bracelet are crafted from 950 platinum, an alloy that has undergone thermal hardening to improve resistance to scratches and shocks. The precious metal is offset by a salmon‑hued, lacquered dial with a sunburst satin‑finished centre and velvet‑finished periphery—a combination that holds historical resonance for Vacheron Constantin, recalling the platinum watches with salmon‑coloured dials produced by the manufacture in the 1940s, while feeling particularly at home within the clean lines of the contemporary Overseas.
Limited to 255 individually numbered pieces, the watch comes with two additional straps—a rubber one in beige and an alligator leather one in dark beige—all interchangeable without tools. While it may be the most restrained of the three new Overseas interpretations, the new Overseas Self‑Winding Ultra‑Thin—a sports watch rendered in platinum, yet slim enough to slip almost unnoticed beneath a crisp cuff—serves as a prime example of just how versatile the Overseas collection is.
Above Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points – North 41mm watch in titanium with a white dial
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points – North 41mm watch in titanium with a white dial
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The spirit of travel, meanwhile, takes a more literal turn with the Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points. Its story can be traced to the titanium and tantalum Overseas Dual Time prototype created for photographer and explorer Cory Richards in 2019, which he wore during an ascent of Mount Everest in extreme conditions. That project subsequently inspired the limited‑edition Overseas Everest Chronograph and Dual Time of 2021.
For 2026, the idea evolves into four new titanium references with distinct dial hues, each corresponding to a cardinal point and the landscape it conjures. White represents the frozen North; brown evokes the continents and vast plains of the South; green captures the forests and tropical jungles of the West; blue looks East, towards the horizon where ocean and sky meet. At the heart of all four: Calibre 5110 DT/3, a twin‑barrel, self‑winding movement delivering a 60‑hour power reserve alongside dual‑time capabilities. The standard hands indicate local time—to which the pointer date at six o’clock is synchronised—while home time is tracked via an orange arrow‑tipped hand and a corresponding day/night display.
Across the quartet, the 41mm titanium case, water‑resistant to 150m, is complemented by an integrated bracelet in the same material and two interchangeable rubber straps—one colour‑matched to the dial and the other in orange. All three can be easily switched without tools, reinforcing the watch’s more overtly adventurous character.
Credits
Photography: Ching
Art Direction: Jeremy Ang
Topics
Annabel Tan is the Editor of Watches and Jewellery at Tatler Singapore, where she covers all things luxury timepieces and fine jewellery across both print and digital platforms. She is also the Editor of Tatler GMT Singapore, a role that deepens her fascination with the ever-evolving world of watchmaking. Outside of work, she’s usually on the hunt for her next favourite watch that she can’t afford, planning her next beach getaway, or catching up on the latest Formula 1 race.
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