Is S Your Size? In That Case, The 34.5mm Vacheron Constantin Overseas Might Be The Watch For You
You want it to be small, sleek, stylish, and sporty. And when you have the choice, you prefer a smaller overall size to an ultra-slim case. It’s all about the right proportions, and these are, as we know, very personal. Here’s the watch for you — the 34.5mm Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding. It is not completely new, as there is already a pink gold reference with green and blue dials and a steel one with a blue dial. However, the pink gold version with a matching dial and a steel one with a deep red, tasty claret-like dial are new. These watches might be thicker than the platinum 39.5mm Overseas Self-Winding Ultra-Thin with its 7.35mm-thick case, but a 9.33mm profile is not exactly porky. In fact, it’s undeniably elegant.
Nearly everything evolves, including language. What was once called “unisex,” a term that describes garments, hairstyles, and aesthetics suitable for any sex, is now labeled as “gender-neutral,” “gender-fluid,” or “genderless.” In my opinion, though, “unisex” is way better than the new equivalents. The term “unisex,” which dates back to the 1960s, was popularized by The New York Times in 1968. It covers all bases, unites them, and tops any new term as a word. It sounds better when you say it and looks better in writing. I don’t know if the people at Vacheron Constantin agree, but the two new versions of the 34.5mm Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding can wear the label “unisex” with great pride.
The 34.5mm Vacheron Constantin Overseas Self-Winding might be the watch for you
The latest iteration of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas pairs a 34.5mm diameter with a 9.33mm thickness and comes in two materials, but above all, it features new dial colors. The steel reference 4600V/200A-H127 with the red dial costs €26,500 / US$26,600 / £23,200 / CHF 23,100. Its newsworthy feature is the lacquered claret dial featuring a satin sunburst center and velvet-finished outer minute track. The pink gold reference 4600V/200R-H128 retails for €59,500 / US$59,500 / £52,000 / CHF 51,500. This watch boasts a lacquered dial in rose gold hues with a satin-finished sunburst base and a velvety-looking minute track.
We could say that the 34.5mm case is a size S. Still, the Overseas features a highly detailed design with the wrist presence of size L. That’s why I think the 34.5mm version has unisex appeal. On a smaller wrist, it looks normal, but on a larger wrist, it looks somewhat retro since there is a strong trend of men wearing 34mm and even smaller watches. They’re mostly vintage dress watches; I’ll give you that. But if you wear a modern 34.5mm Vacheron Constantin Overseas, it’s retro 2.0. By choosing a modern watch with a small size and not a trace of “fauxtina,” you’re wearing a timepiece in yesteryear’s size but today’s colors. And apart from that, you also get newer watchmaking tech, resulting in a reliable movement and excellent finishing. This is especially true when the watch is made by a high-horology brand like Vacheron Constantin.
The power of the cross
What I like best in a small Overseas is that the hexagonal Maltese-cross-inspired bezel and the metal bracelet with cross-inspired center links are small too. That’s stating the obvious a bit, and I realize that, but hear me out. Integrating the brand logo into a design is a neat touch, but the Maltese cross is not the most subtle of shapes, especially when applied to, let’s say, a 41mm version. On a larger Overseas, the cross shining through in both the bezel and the bracelet becomes a very dominant design feature. On the 34.5mm version, everything is smaller, meaning the references to the Maltese cross don’t overpower other aspects of the watch.
Unisex competitors and alternatives
In case you’re wondering what else is “up for grabs” in the same style as the smaller-sized Overseas, here are a couple of examples. The IWC Ingenieur Automatic 35 is a €11,300 alternative with a 9.4mm-thick case. You get the look of an integrated-bracelet sports watch plus the characteristic Ingenieur pattern on the dial, but the watch lacks the haute-horlogerie touches of the Overseas. That also goes for the €9,100 Zenith Defy Skyline 36. It has the looks and a history, but it lacks a long high-horology tradition.
The 37mm Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, on the other hand, is in the same price category as the 34.5mm Overseas, but the 2.5mm-larger diameter matters. The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty 36mm is also in the Overseas’s haute-horlogerie price bracket and, on top of that, is closer in size. The GP has a 9.8mm profile, marginally thicker than the VC, but it looks sleek, and the brand-new in-house automatic movement is a bonus in both looks and movement technology. In any case, the latest Overseas is in good company. In the end, it boils down to a matter of taste — or does resale value matter even more?
Let me read your thoughts on that. And please tell me if you would wear the steel or pink gold unisex 34.5mm Vacheron Constantin Overseas on your 18cm+ wrist and go retro 2.0?
