The increase in tool watch popularity after the World Wars led to a surge in the demand for a new category in the 1970s, luxury sports watches. This was epitomized by the release of the Royal Oak in 1972 and the Nautilus in 1976. But there was a third release, one that remains second to those two in the luxury sports watch category, that is, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas.
In the mid-1970s, Vacheron was looking for a response to their competitors' respective sports watch releases. They took this as an opportunity to try to differentiate themselves, releasing the ‘222’ in 1977 to mark their 222nd anniversary. It was designed by Jorg Hysek and was similar to the Royal Oak and Nautilus in that it was thin, had a barrel shaped case, and a notched bezel. It also featured a Jaeger-LeCoultre Caliber 1121, which was shared with Audemars Piguet. The 222 went through several iterations, but never really broke out to the levels of its competitors. It was only in 1996, when Dino Modolo and Vincent Kaufmann designed the first Overseas, a new model developed directly from the 222, that it really established itself in the market. This new version was made with a tonneau case, fluted bezel, and remained thin with a diameter of only 37mm. It featured a Caliber 1310, based off of a Girard-Perregaux Caliber 3100, was 150m water resistant to emphasize its sporty nature, and was also released in alternative sizes, including 24mm. A chronograph was then introduced in 1999 and in 2004 the brand released an updated version of the Overseas, this time releasing a 42.5mm version, also giving the watch a sharper look.
The story of the Overseas is not nearly over. Today more than ever, when the market for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus is growing so large, it has the chance to distinguish itself as a stylish alternative to the other two. Only recently, in 2016, Vacheron unveiled the latest version of the Overseas, renewing the hope of fans around the world in the success of the Overseas.
By: Andres Ibarguen