Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton

A hidden gem among the sports watches Vacheron Constantin, the Overseas Tourbillon model is slim, restrained and attractive. The model has received an update. The dial has become delicate, and the excess metal from the bridges has disappeared. The titanium option is particularly interesting because this metal is rarely used by luxury watch manufacturers.

Vacheron Constantin has added titanium to the Overseas collection for the first time in its 267-year history. They created a fully titanium model with a built-in bracelet. Vacheron Constantin Overseas Skeleton Tourbillon Titanium is the first skeletonized tourbillon watch in the Overseas collection. The Overseas Tourbillon watch and the Overseas Perpetual Calendars skeletonized watch were released, but never before had Vacheron combined these two elements. A tourbillon with a carriage made in the style of the symbolic Maltese cross Vacheron is certainly an eye-catching element. It rotates once per minute and has a small colored screw (blue on the titanium model, gray on the rose gold model) as a second indication for measuring elapsed time.

Despite the aesthetic opposites, the Skeleton is in no way inferior in beauty to the standard Overseas Tourbillon. In terms of finishes, aesthetics and watchmaking, the Tourbillon Skeleton model occupies a leading position not only in the luxury sports watch category, but also among other brand offerings.

The reason for this is the proportional housing, which is 42.5 mm wide and only 10.39 mm high. Elegant, flat and wide proportions define this luxury sports watch. They give the watch a sporty aesthetic, which is further enhanced by the blackened skeletonized mechanism. For comparison, the Overseas base model is smaller in diameter, but slightly thicker.

The mechanism inside is characterized by a balance between simplicity and complexity, which is usually a problem for skeletonized Calibers. The calibre 2160, certified with the Geneva Stamp, dates back to the 2018 Traditionelle Tourbillon model, when it became the first Vacheron Constantin movement with automatic winding and tourbillon. The skeletonization process allowed this iteration of the 2160 model to become 20 percent thinner, now its height is only 5.65 mm. The peripheral rotor made of gold provides up to 80 hours of battery life. The base plate and four bridges were treated with a NAC coating that leaves a cool gray tint and is completely matte in appearance. Considering that this is Vacheron, no expense was spared in the decoration process, using traditional high-quality finishes such as hand-painted sides and hand-chamfered and polished.

The board and bridges are also elegantly decorated, creating the effect of very thin, perfectly horizontal grooves. The 2160 caliber mainspring drum is openwork, which allows you to approximately see the rest of the mechanism’s factory in real time. The mechanism is also decorated with platinum in the form of a wind rose, which is visible through the back cover. Finally, Vacheron redesigned the regulating body inside the tourbillon, developing a completely new balance spring of its own production with a Breguet spiral.

The Calibre manufacturer talks about the 2160 SQ version as a completely new mechanism, as the House had to work hard on it to skeletonize it without compromising its inherent beauty and chronometric integrity. Engineers and designers have made every effort to create an impressive mechanism, preserving the original architecture and aesthetics, but at the same time openly working on it.

The titanium model is about 25% more expensive than the steel version. The Tourbillon Skeleton represents a certain value, as there are few analogues in this price category. Even in the brand’s own catalog, lace wristwatches are generally much more expensive.

The watch is equipped with the Caliber 2169 SQ, a movement based on the Caliber 2160, which is found in the standard model. The gray color highlights its modern aesthetic. The mechanism is attractive with tourbillon bridges visible from the front and back. It includes several thoughtful details, such as a tourbillon carriage in the shape of a Maltese cross, as well as a drum cover in the shape of a wind rose. The wind rose is a key design element of the Overseas collection.

An important but underestimated feature is the rotor with peripheral rotation, made of a narrow 22-carat gold band. It oscillates around the circumference of the mechanism so as not to interfere with the view. The decoration is thought out to the smallest detail and impeccable. The bridges are chamfered in the traditional way from cork wood. This method allows for finer mirror polishing and curvature of the beveled edges.

Technical Characteristics of Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton

A bracelet and an additional strap made of rubber and leather with a folding clasp.

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