Vacheron Constantin (VC) continues its 270th anniversary festivities with its first minute-repeating sports watch, the Overseas Grand Complication Openface. In addition to the repeater, the manually wound movement also features a perpetual calendar, tourbillion, and rear-facing power reserve indicator.

All of this is housed in a titanium case rated to 30 m, which is a notable degree of water resistance for a chiming watch. This is also the first “Openface” model in the Overseas range, which pays homage to vintage rock crystal dials by using a clear sapphire dial to expose the perpetual calendar works.

Image – Vacheron Constantin

Initial Thoughts

The minute repeater has been slow to make its way into sports watches, despite enjoying renewed popularity for the past few decades, due to the challenges of waterproofing the charging slide and preserving sound quality. This has created a perception of water resistance and sound being mutually exclusive, which has only recently been challenged. Audemars Piguet was an early pioneer, and now Vacheron Constantin has entered the fray with a water-resistant minute-repeating integrated-bracelet sports watch of its own.

While 30 m of water resistance is low compared to other models in the Overseas collection, it’s high for a repeater. According to user manuals for other three bar watches from Vacheron Constantin, “You may use your watch while swimming, provided you do not engage in any water sports that could cause impacts.” While few, if any, owners will take this watch swimming, a little peace of mind goes a long way with a watch like this.

It’s unusual, but a chiming sports watch makes sense considering the direction of consumer preferences. As you’d expect for a sports watch, the dial is lumed. While some would argue this makes the repeater redundant, it’s nice to have options–and other overseas models have fairly weak lume, so I expect that to be the case here as well. Sports watch designs are also predisposed to larger sizes, and the Overseas Grand Complication’s 45 mm case is better proportioned than the Traditionnelle models powered by the same movement.

This watch also demonstrates that Vacheron Constantin is still committed to the Overseas line, despite the recent 222 focus. While calling this a “Grand Complication” is a stretch without a Grande Sonnerie or chronograph, it’s still an extremely complicated and impressive watch. It isn’t a limited edition or a unique piece, but production will be low due to the demanding movement. Vacheron Constantin has not been forthcoming with pricing, but it will certainly be in the mid-to-high six-figure range.

Movement

Calibre 2755 first debuted in 2007 inside a Traditionnelle case, though the movement family in general descends from 2005’s landmark Tour de L’Ile. Since then, Vacheron Constantin has created a highly modular ecosystem around it, similar to what Patek Philippe has done with its calibre R 27. While these movements are used extensively in unique pieces by Les Cabinotiers, the Overseas Grand Complication is not a Les Cabinotiers model.

The Les Cabinotiers-Grande Complication “Bacchus” uses a related movement, cal. 2755 GC16. Note the similarities in dial layout. Image – Vacheron Constantin

For the Overseas Grand Complication Openface, the 2755  has been given a new industrial look with a dark grey NAC PVD finish on the bridges and plates, a safer alternative to traditional ruthenium plating, and rhodanized wheels. As usual for Vacheron Constantin, the movement is well finished, as attested by the Geneva Seal. The anglage is smooth and rounded, with plenty of sharp interior and exterior angles to add visual interest.

The Maltese cross-shaped tourbillion cage is black polished and contains a slow-beating free-sprung balance on an overcoil hairspring. It’s supported by a pair of black-polished tubular steel bridges on either side. Another such bridge supports the near-silent centrifugal strike governor, which is signed with the initial of the brand’s founder, Jean-Marc Vacheron.

Image – Vacheron Constantin

Image – Vacheron Constantin

Case and Dial

Unlike its peers in the current Overseas collection, the Grand Complication doesn’t have a screw down caseaback. Instead, the brand designed a new screw-fixed display caseback to accommodate the repeater without adding height and compromising the case lines. According to Vacheron Constantin, it took a year and a half to perfect the new caseback and water-resistant slide. It seems this involved sacrificing the soft iron that gave some degree of anti-magnetism to other overseas models. It also lacks a screw down crown, which be inconvinent for manually wound watch.

The case also bears the Geneva Seal, and can be distinguished as titanium rather than steel by the sandblasted base of the bezel, rather than the normal satin finish. Vacheron Constantin has reserved titanium for special models, such as tourbillions, the Everest watches, and the Grand Complication Openface. The watch comes on an integrated grade five titanium bracelet with comfort-adjustment, as well as blue rubber and alligator straps on titanium folding clasps. Straps can be exchanged quickly without tools using the same system found on other Overseas models.

Image – Vacheron Constantin

The calendar plate. Image – Vacheron Constantin

The Art Deco-inspired Openface aesthetic debuted on the Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar Openface in 2019 and has expanded to other models since. The clear sapphire dial makes it look as if the subdials and white gold indices are levitating, while the blue accents tie it in with the rest of the Overseas line and provide contrast against the anthracite movement.

While the cadrature is exposed by the sapphire dial, the unskeletonized calendar plate obscures the repeater works. The perpetual calendar itself is simple and traditional, and displays the date, day, month, and leap year cycle with the omission of a moonphase, giving the watch a cleaner look and drawing attention toward the tourbillion. Additional clutter is avoided by placing the up/down on the back and using a separate leap year counter, rather than compressing 48 months into a single subdial.

Image – Vacheron Constantin

Key facts and price

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Grand Complication Openface
Ref. 6510V/110T-128C

Diameter: 44.5 mm
Height: 7.7 mm
Material: Grade 5 titanium
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: Cal. 2755 QP
Functions: Hours and minutes, perpetual calendar, minute repeater, tourbillion, power reserve
Winding: Manual-wind
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: ~58 hours

Strap: Interchangeable titanium bracelet, blue alligator, and blue rubber straps

Limited edition: No, but limited production
Availability: At Vacheron Constantin boutiques and retailers
Price: On request

For more information, visit vacheron-constantin.com.