You would be forgiven for not noticing a new member of the vaunted Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon collection because this new titanium model looks very similar to its cousin in steel (with the same blue dial) that came out in 2019. You can see our aBlogtoWatch hands-on article about the steel version of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon here. It is true that, in person, titanium and steel have slightly different silver colors, but the real difference here is the wearing weight. Titanium is going to be about one-third lighter than steel, and that makes a real difference for a watch on a full metal bracelet. In titanium, the Overseas Tourbillon weighs 111 grams, versus 168 grams for the same watch in steel. So, while this watch feels like something Vacheron Constantin has already been making, it is a very satisfying interpretation of this theme and really comfortable to wear.
Price-wise, this titanium reference 6000V/210T-H032 Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon watch is identical in price to the steel model 6000V/110A-B544, from what I can tell. That seems to suggest that Vacheron Constantin’s costs are about the same, which makes sense. At this price point, there really isn’t an appreciable difference between the material and finishing costs of steel and titanium. It is worth noting that, in the last five years, the price of the steel Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillons has gone up by about $25,000 USD.
Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Tourbillon as a model is a very interesting mixture of features and strong points, even if it is a challenging value proposition to explain in writing when attempting to compare it with the formidable competition. Many of the world’s most serious watchmakers produce “sporty” tourbillon-based, slim-wearing watches on a bracelet. Most of these watches are over $100,000, and all are agreeably beautiful. What pushes consumes to one model or another is often their relationship with the brand. Are you a Vacheron Constantin kind of person?
The most recent-generation Overseas case is about eight years old now, but it is aging well, is well-made, nice to look at, and equipped with useful features such as a quick-release system for the bracelet. It is, however, a bit large in diameter, and I think a lot of people would prefer this watch to be in the 40mm-wide range. That said, there are plenty of wrists that this larger 42.5mm-wide case looks great on. Even if this is not, strictly speaking, an “ultra-thin” watch, the case profile does feel svelte at 10.4mm thick. It is also water resistant to 50 meters and has a flat sapphire crystal over the dial.
Vacheron Constantin pairs the Overseas Tourbillon Titanium with a matching titanium bracelet, a blue fabric strap, and a blue leather strap. The blue dial is a rich, deep color that uses many layers of lacquer to get the right hue and light-reflecting effect. The legible, sporty dial is punctuated with a large opening at 6 o’clock with a view to the hand-finished 60-second spinning tourbillon with a cage inspired by the brand’s Maltese cross logo. The entire movement inside the watch is meant to be a presentation piece, with a very nicely decorated regulation system and a view of the back of the movement through the rear of the case.
One of the reasons the Overseas Tourbillon is so wide is because of the relatively broad movement. Inside the Overseas Tourbillon Titanium is the in-house Vacheron Constantin caliber 2160 automatic. It uses a peripheral automatic rotor to allow it to be thinner (5.65mm thick in total for the movement), as well as to offer a more attractive viewing experience. That said, peripheral automatic rotors tend to make movements much wider than normal. The caliber 2160 operates at 3Hz with 80 hours of power reserve. It is lovely to look at the movement in operation while viewing the spinning 22k gold peripheral rotor moving around powering the automatic winding system. The movement is made more prestigious by the Seal of Geneva, which is a complicated certification that measures a watch’s beauty, performance, and, of course…. place of manufacture (the canton of Geneva).
While no longer technically a talking point for timepiece enthusiasts, tourbillon-based luxury watches are still very cool given their beauty and visual animation. As long as these mechanical products are impressive, companies like Vacheron Constantin will continue to make timepieces that feature them. For those who can afford it and like the idea of a tourbillon as a daily-wear timepiece, there are far worse choices than this. Price for the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon in titanium (Ref. 6000V/210T-H032) is $129,000 USD. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
