Vacheron Constantin introduces the Overseas Grand Complication Openface, a milestone in the collection as the first model to feature a minute repeater. Powered by the Calibre 2755 QP, the watch combines a minute repeater, tourbillon, perpetual calendar, and power reserve indicator within a 7.9 mm movement. Housed in a water-resistant grade 5 titanium case with integrated bracelet, the new model expands the technical language of the Overseas series while offering a clear view of its movement through a sapphire dial.
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The development of this model required a year and a half of focused research and engineering. Watchmakers redesigned the caseback to accommodate the minute repeater mechanism, a complication that presents specific challenges for water resistance. They maintained the Overseas watch’s recognizable curves while increasing its diameter to 44.5 mm and thickness to 13.1 mm. This adjustment allowed the case to house the elaborate mechanics without compromising its elegance or comfort.
Calibre 2755 QP ranks among Vacheron Constantin’s most advanced calibers. It carries forward features from the Tour de l’Île, introduced in 2005, and compresses 602 components into a 33.30 mm diameter. The movement tracks the date, day, month, and leap year cycle, and will not require correction until 2100. The minute repeater chimes hours, quarters, and minutes on demand, regulated by a custom-developed centripetal governor. This device relies on two centrifugal weights that smooth the energy flow, ensuring precision in every chime.
Watchmakers designed the governor to function silently while also attending to its visual form. A gold arc-shaped bar holds it in place, finished by hand in a process that takes an entire day. Beneath it, the inertia weights bear the initials of Jean-Marc Vacheron, the brand’s founder. Elsewhere, the tourbillon bridges received a complete rework. Watchmakers rounded and tapered each bridge by hand, refining the architecture to appear lighter when viewed from the reverse side. The tourbillon moves at 18,000 vibrations per hour, allowing its rotation to unfold with clarity.
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The finishing across the movement adheres to Vacheron Constantin’s high standards. Polished repeater hammers, beveled bridges, and satin-brushed wheels meet a series of decorative techniques, including Côtes de Genève striping. Each treatment serves both technical and aesthetic purposes, resulting in a watch that performs at the highest level while offering a visually engaging mechanical display.
The watch’s open sapphire dial reveals the layered structure of its movement, offering a sharp contrast between the NAC-treated anthracite bridges and the rhodium-plated wheels. Time and calendar indicators stand within blue metallized rings, engraved in white for clarity. The 18-carat white gold hour markers rest on the sapphire crystal, giving them a floating appearance that contributes to the dial’s lightness.
Vacheron Constantin fits the Overseas Grand Complication Openface with a titanium bracelet that can be swapped without tools. The watch also comes with two additional straps: one in blue alligator leather and another in blue rubber. The mix of finishes on the case, sandblasted, polished, and satin-brushed, creates a textured surface that responds to light in dynamic ways, defining the aesthetic of this new titanium-cased model within the Overseas collection.
