Vacheron Constantin Overseas "Deep Stream" : Another Review

[lhooq]

Here's a rep that snuck up on a lot of people--including me: The Vacheron Constantin Overseas "Deep Stream". Please see redwatch's review of this same rep before proceeding. For one thing, he's got terrific pictures of the gen.

I've long been a fan of the Vacheron Constantin Overseas, but felt I'd missed the boat by not buying the old rep based on the first-generation model of 1996. You've probably seen it before: It's the one with Arabic numerals circling the dial, date at 3, and a lovely caseback that wouldn't look out of place on a bottle of microbrew. I also seem to remember some sellers carrying a 1st-gen Overseas rep with stick markers, though I don't recall any reviews of one. In any case, it was a remarkable rep that disappeared too soon, and was elevated to the status of legend.

Fast forward several years and there were at least two reps based on VC's 2004 update of the Overseas. This revamp bumped the diameter up to 42mm, and restyled the mid-case and bracelet to echo the brand's Maltese Cross logo. The dials were cleaned up: Numerals and sticks on a white or black guilloché background, date at 4:30, and a sloping minute track on the rehaut. The ideal build would involve taking the Cross appliance from one factory's dial and transplanting it onto the other factory's more accurate rep. I found it to be too much work and expense for a rep that didn't really grab hold of me.

In 2009, VC refreshed the Overseas with a titanium bezel, an anthracite dial (read: gray sunburst), and an optional, integrated gray crocodile strap. For nebulous reasons, this model was codenamed or nicknamed "Deep Stream", which sounds more like a new Intel chipset than anything to do with haute horlogerie. But it's a good, catchy name that shows a bit more imagination than something like "Overseas Gray Themes".

The first time I saw a rep of the Deep Stream was when diver_dylan put his own example up for sale a few months ago. None of the major sellers had listed this rep before, so I had no way of researching its quality or comparing its price. I started writing a PM to redwatch, who had once owned that legendary first-gen VCO. Before I could finish, I saw that red had bought the Deep Stream. And he loved it! (Boy, did S love it...) I kicked myself for weeks, but it seems I wasn't alone. Others were ringing their favorite dealers to see if there were more Deep Streams in China. There were.

This one came from Tony at Asian7750.com (not an officially trusted dealer here, but is on other forums). I had never bought anything from Tony before, but others had confirmed that he had these in stock. This transaction was trouble-free: Good communications, fast shipment, would use again. For a small fee (+15%), I also ordered the gray "croc" strap and deployant, both of which you can see below.

Let's go to the pictures!

The Deep Stream is a beautiful rep with a tremendous amount of presence on the wrist. Switching from bracelet to croc tones down the flash considerably, but looks very impressive, nonetheless. It's a credible, subtle alternative to a ROO or HBB, both of which are too large for my 6.5" wrist, anyway.

However, I hesitate to call this a super-rep. There's plenty of room for improvement when it comes to accuracy to the gen, though I have little problem with this rep in that respect. Where I am a bit disappointed is in the fit and finish, which aren't up to the standards we've come to expect in recent reps (e.g. Panerais in 2011). In many ways, this VCO represents the Old School of rep construction and compromised expectations.

Here we see a bit of the good and bad. On the left: The jagged, blasted titanium bezel contrasts nicely with the straight-brushed surface. The slab sides of the steel mid-case are polished and well-chamfered. But look at the block under the crown: What's with the slanted brushing? redwatch's VCO is the same, so it's not a one-off accident. The undersized cross on the crown is another minor concern.

On the right is the single ugliest part of this rep: the caseback. Once beautifully engraved on the 37mm rep, the Amerigo Vespucci is now a ghost ship sailing through the murk. Text and numbers are superficially etched, and what you can't see at the bottom is the mis-spelled "ANTIMACNETIC". Also notice the mangled heads of the caseback screws. (They came that way.) These screws are made of very soft steel, so make sure you use the drivers with the appropriate tips.

The gray strap is stiff, and a pain in the ass to mount onto the head. You have to drive four long screws into a solid piece of plastic wedged inside the lug-tips of the strap. I ended up twirling a drill bit between my fingers to sink some guide holes. The strap does look good and remarkably credible, as does the half-cross clasp. Its geometry is best suited to larger wrists, though.

Here are some examples of what I mean by poor fit and finish, going clockwise from the upper-left:

• Note the ragged line between the central portion of the mid-case, and the lugs.
  
• Close-up of the inside of the bracelet's clasp. Those are sharp edges and pointy corners on the pushbuttons, and they wear painfully on the wrist. I had my watchsmith grind these smooth.
  
• Mind the gap between the lugs and the rest of the mid-case, and the misaligned bevel.
  
• More rough edges that show up very clearly under certain lights. I fixed the worst cases with an emery board.
  

Bog-standard Asian ETA, but guess what? It's lost 10 seconds in the last three days, making it one of the most accurate watches I own--rep or gen. I'm not sure how the gen is constructed, but do note the absence of any seals. (The caseback is similarly gasket-free.) Wet the VCO at your peril.

Despite its 42mm size, the VCO wears like a smaller watch. It has a low center of gravity with a slim, low case that has a big contact patch on my wrist. With the most painful points of the clasp removed, the bracelet is one of the most comfortable I own.

I just noticed the tiny fibers sticking out from the side of the bezel. The downside of this design is that all the sharp corners are fuzz magnets, but it's only obvious in macro photographs.

The smart-looking and now-comfortable butterfly clasp. There's a half-link provided to aid in fitting, and every link of the bracelet can be unscrewed.

The dial is absolutely stunning. The printing doesn't quite hold up at this level of magnification, but it looks great on the wrist. The framed date window is the biggest deviation from the gen, but to the rep factory's credit, it looks good and makes sense.

That's more like it! Back away by even a few inches and the illusion of a $10,000 watch starts to materialize.

I do wish that the weaknesses I listed would be addressed, and I would definitely pony up for a V2 in a heartbeat. But this is an excellent rep as it is, and has a bigger "Wow!" factor than many of my other watches.

The thing to remember about this VCO rep is not to fixate on the details. This may run counter to many of our instincts as rep collectors, but do try to apprehend the overall look of the watch, instead. Let flash and beauty overwhelm the urge to pick nits that only you will notice. This is one great-looking watch!

[gran]

:cupidarrow:

Thank you!!!

[sgtguk]

Awesome watch and great write up thanks for sharing !

[mbjoer]

I really appreciate reviews like this one. The good and the bad well documented.

It is a very attractive watch and I was pleased to hear that you find the strap satisfactory. That's a rare occurance.

Still, think I will wait a little before I jump on to this one. Who knows: There might be a genuinely imporved V2....

[redwatch]

Great write up M!! The VC Deep Stream is a great watch. I still need to find a deployant clasp for my strap.

One other thing I find is the edges are awfully sharp. I need to go to town on the bracelet and soften the edges as well as dry lube it. I think that will make a huge difference.

[asf]

I gotta say, the bracelet on that watch is so magically smooth in between links. Once the sharp parts are softened, it is an amazing bracelet!

thanks for taking the time for the write up!

[dluddy]

Great write-up M. Kick myself regularly for selling my Arabic and 2004 White dial VCO....

This one might make its way into the collection

[lhooq]

Thanks, all!

asf and red: It really is an excellent bracelet. A watch-collecting friend of mine tried it on when I first got it, and he kept running the links between his thumb and forefinger, nodding approvingly. Of course, he only wore the VCO for a few minutes, and didn't experience the loves bites you get after half a day's wear! But now that the clasp has been smoothed, it's my most comfortable big watch. The strap/deployant isn't nearly as comfortable for me.

[calatrava]

I agree very much with your review, many small flaws, but looks great on the wrist. I also have the gen white dial VCO (in addition to the rep deep stream, and a rep white dial), and the gen bracelet is quite simply the most comfortable yet substantial bracelet I have ever encountered, it is simply a work of art. The replica bracelet isn't bad and is still extremely comfortable, but as you say, there are small fit and finish issues, and it has a bit more flex than the gen bracelet. The rep clasp is also a bit finicky.

[redwatch]

....now that the clasp has been smoothed, it's my most comfortable big watch. The strap/deployant isn't nearly as comfortable for me.

M, what did your watchmaker friend use to smooth out the clasp buttons?? I would love to do the same as it is really brutal on the wrist after a while.

[lhooq]

calatrava: I've seen your rep/gen comparison of white VCOs on the other forum, and it was very good. I did find funny how some guys were calling minute differences on the dial (like the size of the cross) "dead giveaways"! Maybe in a direct-side-by-side with a gen, but how many reps can honestly withstand that level of scrutiny? It's very good in isolation, and that's how I feel about this Deep Stream rep.

M, what did your watchmaker friend use to smooth out the clasp buttons?? I would love to do the same as it is really brutal on the wrist after a while.

I tried hand-sanding the clasp but did little more than scratch the surface. My watchsmith took the clasp to a grinding wheel, shaved the corners off, then polished it back to a nice shine.

[Ronin]

Wow this and Red's review really caught my attention.

Question: How is the AR? Too Blue/Purple or just right?

As far as tell's go, these are not something you see everyday so it is kind of a non-issue. The date window is the only gotcha.

[redwatch]

The date wheel window is off, but I kind of like the look of it to be honest. Not an issue for me at all.

[lhooq]

Question: How is the AR? Too Blue/Purple or just right?

No AR that I can detect. Does the gen even have a coated sapphire? I'm reading through VC's press release for a few recent models of Overseas, and they make no mention of AR. This would be a great candidate for a treatment, though.

Agree with red about the date window frame, though I do wonder if you could jimmy it off. Of course, I'm guessing there's going to be a mess underneath it!

[calatrava]

I don't think my gen has AR coating, unless it's colorless and just on the inside. My guess is that it's just a high quality sapphire crystal. The reason why I like the Deep Stream replica more than the white dial replica is that the Deep Stream dial just seems much more convincing to me. The guilloche on the white dial replica isn't anywhere as deep as on the gen, and it is quite noticeable when placed side by side. The white dial replica would also benefit from AR treatment on the inside.

But, you're certainly right that unless one compares the rep to the gen side by side, or with macro photos, it's extremely difficult to tell when looking at the watch on the wrist. For one thing, the Vacheron Overseas tends to fly under the radar, so only a small number of people will even know it's a $10K+ watch. People are more likely to assume it is a fake based on who is wearing the watch, than based on any observed tells. For the most part, the people who might be able to detect the tells either own the gen, or is also a rep collector, and even then, it'll take much more than a quick glance at the watch on your wrist.

Edited February 6, 2012 by calatrava

[chiman12]

I really...really...reall like it M! Very informative!

[mt666tm]

Great review, thanks!

[hackR]

M...terrific review and pix...

nice to see i wasn't alone with the strap change! - as i, too, own the Deep Stream with both strap/deployment and bracelet...the strap is ULTRA-STIFF and a TOTAL pain in the [censored] to attach...i couldn't believe how much work it took...almost needed another set of hands...but once on, it looks great with it...problem is i like the bracelet, too...but knowing the difficulty in changing the strap will hold me back from changing it frequently...the watch looks great on the bracelet, but the strap really does compliment it best...strap is nice looking - but you really need to agressively bend/work it...there's still a slight gap on my 7.3" wrist - driven by the angle the strap attaches to the head...

regarding the movement...wow!...as you said, the accuracy is very impressive...same as yours...

the crystal is clear and does make the dial pop...it may have no ar, but i don't think it's needed...seldom is it obscured by light - and moreover, the dial's sunburst pattern overcomes any potential glare...

all in all, a really sharp dressy sport watch...yes - with me, its sporty with the strap...

may not be repliamaniacally perfect, but this is definitely one of the best looking reps out there - without a doubt in the top of all the gray dial watches...

R-

[lhooq]

Thanks, guys! It was a fun watch to photograph, and there was plenty to write about. In fact, I wrote about a couple of new Overseas models for a local watch magazine some months ago, and I only now realize that I got a few dates wrong in that article. Yikes!

hackR: I knew that the previous VCO rep's screws were famously soft, so getting the croc strap on was not only a PITA but also a nerve-wracking experience. If I'd had more confidence in the threads, I would have tried driving the screws straight into the plastic bit. As it was, I sweated profusely every time I torqued one in and felt a bit of resistance: "Aah!! I've killed my VCO!" I really wondered whether I was making a huge mistake by putting it on, but the strap and bracelet screws turned out to be hardier than expected. The caseback screws, on the other hand, were about as solid as dum-dum bullets. As for movement accuracy, did you also get yours from Tony?

[hackR]

@M...yes - Tony - pleasure to work with...the movement runs amazingly accurate...with strong power reserve...any idea which "flavor" of asian movement this is?

you are soo right on the strap and screws...i, too, was hoping i wasn't screwing up (pun intended) the screws....but it was worth it...the strap does compliment the piece well...but i'll be fearful to entertain switching between the strap and bracelet...argh...the fit, tho, on the strap is perfect...

i need to check mine closely...never noticed the rough details...did notice its a tough piece to not pickup lint and such in between bezel and case...

the starburst sheen of the dial is one of the best i've seen...lucky to have owned both old skool black/arabic and white VCOs...like the size of this one better...miss the caseback...a piece of art...