Vacheron Constantin Overseas Owner Review : Atypical, bold and playful

Overseas, a name that leaves you dreaming, you imagine waterproofness, and a certain freedom under a beautiful sun. Hop, Vacheron Constantin is releasing in 2016-2017 a third generation of this range that many have barely heard here and there, without really being interested in it. The second-hand market is going crazy, people are discovering it, including me. Excellent news, I managed to get this new piece at the price... new. Immediately we see a certain number of comparisons including one that keeps coming back: this watch is an equivalent to the Nautilus and other Royal Oaks. Not to mention them, 5711 and 15202. And there, cold shower, we compare, we change the bracelets with the simple and very well done system, and we say to ourselves that in fact yes, the finishes are impeccable, the movement is splendid and visible through the glass - the best word to describe the glass that lets us glimpse this art. But at the same time, it is impossible to be convinced that you have THE Nautilus from Vacheron or THE Royal Oak from Audemars, and so I will allow myself to make things easier for you: NO! This watch is not a competitor to these two other pieces. I have come to the conclusion that it can only be considered as the only one in its category: a "super luxury daily toolwatch", which would be a bit like the culmination of what can be done in terms of finishes, playfulness, beauty, fun, and sophistication in terms of design, while offering a beautifully crafted movement (hello Submariner, we are not talking about you here). Phew, we can breathe, we finally appreciate the piece, we understand that it can serve as the only piece for the rest of our days, neither too thick nor too thin in the end, integrated steel bracelet today, the next day on alligator, and the day after that on colored rubber. In short, this watch is what we can ultimately expect from a big house like VC that tries the exercise of getting out of the spirit of a small hidden workshop with traditional pieces: a sour candy in the shape of... a flying saucer some will say? In any case, don't expect to compete with the friends who own the other two that are given as competitors on all the discussion forums: they drive Porsches, you drive Alfa Romeos. I'll let you make the connection and wonder about the popularity and frequency of visibility of the two brands in everyday life. A little touch of technical advice outside of my improvised poetry: nothing to say, I would have made it in 40mm rather than 41mm, and again, for the rest, no problem for me. Blue and gray dial for my favorites. Be careful with the Dual Time which is also much thicker.