It is our pleasure to present a representative of the so-called “Holy Trinity” of watchmaking. And while Patek Philippe has the honor of being the prerogative of the most affluent and established admirers of this art, and Audemars Piguet is tasked with satisfying the pursuits of more sporty and “nonchalant” ladies and gentlemen, Vacheron Constantin is undoubtedly afforded the pleasure of fulfilling the desires of that segment of watch lovers who seek the different, the beautiful, and perfection in everything they own. And so, ladies and gentlemen, for your attention: the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph Rose Gold 5500V/000R-B074.

We will not hide that this brand is one of our most beloved, and we always approach every offering that reaches us with reverence and hidden excitement. Audemars Piguet has its Royal Oak, Patek Philippe has its Nautilus, and at Vacheron Constantin, the honor of fulfilling the role of the “sports model” in the collection falls to the Overseas. And while a tremendous amount has been written about the first two, and all sorts of known and unknown connoisseurs, admirers, and mere “journalists” have practiced describing the models' histories and their merits, considerably less has been written about this “saint,” and thus it remains overshadowed. Unlike the Royal Oak and the Nautilus, Gerald Genta did not have a hand in the creation of this watch (What a surprise?!), but the name of its creator is no less famous – it is Jorg Hysek, who created no small number of remarkable models from the end of the 20th century. However, before we do so, I want to draw your attention to the fact that this is a representative of the newest version of the model, first presented at SIHH in 2018.

All models in the Overseas line have a fresh, hand-engraved dial – previous generations have distinct rhombus shapes on it, while this one returns to the classic look with a sunburst effect and is made of Laiton Générique CuZn. Also, around the edge of the crystal is a bezel featuring the relief of the Maltese cross from the brand's logo. All of this is inspired by the remarkable progenitor of all Overseas models – the Model 222. The other differences compared to the previous generation are very interesting—first, VC managed to create a case that is anti-magnetic and at the same time has a transparent case back; second, the bracelet now has a quick-change system that allows you to change the look of your watch without needing a visit to a watchmaker's workshop.

But this particular model is different for another reason – mainly because of the material used for its production, as in this case, we are talking about 18-karat rose gold! And in this case, the watch's bracelet is also crafted from solid rose gold – it is truly impressive!

At the heart of the watch beats the automatic in-house masterpiece – Vacheron Constantin caliber 5200 – a latest-generation in-house movement from the brand, a column-wheel chronograph produced with 54 jewels, operating at the familiar frequency of 28,800 vibrations and with a power reserve of over 52 hours. The rotor is crafted from 22k gold – but do not think its purpose is purely artistic! No, the manufacturer was pursuing purely technical objectives, and the gold was used for its specific gravity (and it is for this very reason that it is in the relatively rare density of 22 karats).