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VC Overseas 42042/423A-8890


redwatch

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Hello All! Well today is a very special day for me. I have received an absolutely stunning time piece in the mail! :D

This watch has quite the heritage. Originally owned by the master himself, Ziggy, the watch then went to dluddy for a while. Eventually he sold it to hackR, who recently sold it to mdg137. Fortunately for me, mdg decided it wasn't quite for him. I had drooled over this watch when hackR originally had it up for sale, but I held back. I guess the fates conspired and the watch was truly meant to be mine after all!

The Brand

Vacheron Constantin is one of the oldest, continuously operating swiss manufacturers of watches. They have been in business since 1755. One of VC's biggest claims to fame is the hiring of Georges-Auguste Leschot in 1839. Leschot essentially pioneered serial production of their watches (along the lines of what Henry Ford did with the automobile assembly line) enabling VC to mass produce a very high quality movement in a shorter period of time to their competitors.

In 1996, Vacheron Constantin was purchased by Richemont, which also runs Jaeger LeCoultre, IWC, Lange, Cartier, Baume and Mercier, Piaget, and Panerai. It was during this phase that VC devolped the Overseas line of sports watches. Before the Overseas, VC had made two other attempts to develop a sports watch. The first one was the Phidias and the second was the 222. Both lines did not take very well at all.

The Overseas comes in a wide variety of choices. There are four different sizes - 30mm, 34mm, 37mm and the 40mm. There are at least 5 different dial choices. You can get the watches in either 18k gold or Stainless Steel.

The Watch

The Overseas 42042/423A-8890 is a Stainless Steel watch, black dial with super-luminous arabic numbers and a date function. The watch is 37mm in diameter and quite thin. The caseback is attached to the case using screws as opposed to using a screw down case back. This allowed VC to create a sports watch with a 15 ATM depth rating while keeping the watch incredibly thin. It is only 8mm thick.

This particular version of the watch has had quite a legacy to it. Having a simple beginning with an Eddie Lee case, Ziggy did an outstanding job on the intricate and very detailed luminous numbers. The 2824 was serviced as well by Ziggy. The crystal has Chief's un-real AR on it. It simply makes the crystal disappear and the dial just jumps out of the watch.

The Photos

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Look at this detail on the re-lume! :thumbsupsmileyanim:

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The caseback is a thing of beauty. The intricacy and detail is un-real. I almost wish I could reverse the watch and just show off the caseback!

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The clasp mechanism is an example of engineering genius. Double fold over deployant with a two-stage locking mechanism. First you fold the two ends in, then slide the VC Maltese Cross to the closed position. Then, to assure you that the slide lock won't accidentally release, you fold another piece over the top of it to lock it in place.

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The wrist shot.

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And the best part for last - the lume shot.

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Well congradulations!

That watch sat in my watch case for years, I loved the look, especially the caseback, but I just couldn't get used to wearing it.

Little did I know I had a classic collector's piece in my hands...

It sure has made the rounds, it's been through more hands than a hooker on payday.

Enjoy.

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  • 1 month later...

Reading this review made me buy this one from Mark @ Timesshop. Ordered on eveing of Dec 7, and received this morning (Dec 15). Very quick.

A few comments on the watch (without pictures. There is no way that I can improve on what you already have shown...):

The watchhead is even more beautiful than your pictures show. Seems impossible, but it's true.

The play between brush and polish works really well.

The dial numbers are elegant (which they may not appear to be when blown up on a macro here).

And the case-back is just fantastic. Super attention to detail.

Mine has an Asian 2892 movement. Very smooth sweep. Jumps to start by a mere shake. Date changes on the dot of midnight. No idea how accurate it is as I only just received it.

The crown looks perfect, but is a bit stiff.

It seriously needs the AR and probably the lume as well. As I am in Europe I may go another route for this than your watch.

I have not had it pressure tested, but suspect that the design would allow for swimming with it.

The watch is about the size of my gen Omega and IWC, both of which are of some age and which were my only watches before I went mad in the rep-world.

Nice and classic, but seems a bit small now compared to the other collection.

All in all it really works as a Vacheron. Or rather it will when Domenico has done his bits to it, the way Vac and The Zigmeister did yours.

So thanks for bring it to my attention.

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