Vacheron Constantin Introduces New All-Titanium Overseas Tourbillon Model
Titanium, known for its light weight, robustness, and hypoallergenic properties, has become an ideal material for sports and technical watches. Vacheron Constantin, a brand with a pioneering spirit since the early 19th century, first introduced its Overseas collection in 1996 and revisited it eight years later. The collection, characterized by a sporty and adventurous aesthetic, now features a new all-titanium watch.
The Overseas Tourbillon
In 2022, Vacheron Constantin presented its first timepiece with an all-titanium exterior: the Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton model. This watch has now been updated with a solid blue dial, maintaining the signature look of the Overseas collection. Crafting titanium watches demands precision, as only grade 2 and grade 5 titanium are suitable. The Overseas Tourbillon boasts a delicate vertical satin-brushed finish on the bracelet and caseback, a circular satin-brushed finish on the bezel, and a blue-lacquered dial with a sunburst satin-brushed flange.
Technical Excellence & Design
The Overseas Tourbillon features the ultra-thin self-winding Calibre 2160, just 5.65 mm thick, with a 22K gold peripheral oscillating weight that provides an 80-hour power reserve. This movement highlights Vacheron Constantin's technical mastery and offers a clear view of its meticulous finishing. The watch's tourbillon compensates for the effects of gravity on the movement's isochronism, ensuring precision and fitting snugly on the wrist at just over 10 mm thick.
Versatility & Interchangeable Straps
This model includes an integrated titanium bracelet with a triple-blade folding clasp and a comfort-adjustment system. The bracelet can be swapped for two additional straps – calfskin leather or blue rubber – without tools, making the watch adaptable to various styles and environments.
Interview Insights: Christian Selmoni, Style & Heritage Director
Christian Selmoni explains that Vacheron Constantin first introduced titanium in its collections with the Quai de l'Île in 2008 and the Overseas in 2009. The brand's collaboration with mountaineer Cory Richards led to the creation of two Overseas Everest limited series, emphasizing titanium's suitability for sports watches. These models paved the way for the current all-titanium Overseas Tourbillon, offering a robust, lightweight, and technical timepiece with a tourbillon movement.
Artistic & Technical Mastery
Vacheron Constantin's 2024 theme focuses on the interplay between geometry and artistry. From initial sketches to the final product, the brand combines mechanical engineering with design, creating watches that are both technically impressive and aesthetically pleasing. The Overseas collection, alongside others like Traditionnelle and Patrimony, showcases this blend of art and geometry, embodying Vacheron Constantin's dedication to high watchmaking.
Interview
Christian Selmoni, Style & Heritage Director Talk to Us
When did Vacheron Constantin introduce titanium to its collections?
Titanium – which is 30% more resistant than steel and only half its weight – is a metal whose properties are perfectly suited to Vacheron Constantin's sports watch collection. The first proposal was for the Quai de l'Île collection in 2008, followed by Overseas timepieces in 2009. In those cases, it was used for the bezels of two self-winding models, one of which was equipped with a chronograph. The following year, the same bezel was adopted for a dual time model. The collaboration with photographer and mountaineer Cory Richards, a member of the 'One of not Many' talent circle, opened up new horizons. The two Overseas Everest limited series dedicated to him – a dual time and a chronograph – were designed to cope with the hostile environments of Cory Richards' expeditions and exploration missions. The two 2021 models are distinguished by their titanium case, bezel, pushers and pusher rings. The aim was first and foremost to accentuate the sporty, hard-wearing aspect of these Overseas watches, with very convincing results.
Those were however limited editions and not yet watches in regular production?
These two models with their powerful design and steel case were produced in two 150-piece limited series. A prototype of the dual time version accompanied Cory Richards on one of his Everest expeditions in 2019. Vacheron Constantin's designers took things a step further in 2022 by offering an all-titanium Overseas in the company's catalogue. This was a tourbillon skeleton timepiece: a first in the collection that foreshadowed this year's model, also made in titanium but with a solid dial that is openworked on the tourbillon only. Inside the case beats the same ultra-thin Calibre 2160 in a non-skeleton version. The two watches represent a very interesting alternative to the steel watches in the collection. They offer the properties of sporty timepieces through their lightness and robustness while remaining on a par with the technical timepieces for which Vacheron Constantin is renowned. What's more, customers can now choose between a skeleton version and one with a blue dial.
Given that titanium is often a material of choice for sports watches, why choose a tourbillon movement rather than a chronograph, for example, for these first all-titanium models?!
With the two Overseas Everest limited editions, the Maison has already offered models of this kind, which were very enthusiastically received. It was therefore time to explore other avenues and the choice fell on the ultra-thin self-winding tourbillon Calibre 2160. However, to ensure it stood out from the crowd, it was designed in a skeletonised version, a first in the Overseas collection that required a great deal of ingenuity to remove 20% of the calibre's material. The result is a watch that is robust and very light thanks to the titanium, highly architectural thanks to its skeleton movement, yet extremely technical thanks to the presence of a tourbillon regulator, a guarantee of precision. In short, all the ingredients of a chic Overseas sports watch. In that respect, this year’s model is an extension of its predecessor, picking up its codes yet with a different aesthetic featuring the collection's emblematic blue dial and with titanium as the common denominator.