Magazine Feature An Adventurous New Direction: The Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points

This story was originally published in Hodinkee Australia & New Zealand Volume 1. Get your copy here.

Photography by Greg Delves.

Naturally, these sorts of stories are like catnip to watch enthusiasts, and there was immediate clamouring for Vacheron Constantin to make this watch a wider release. Fans didn’t have to wait too long: two years later, the brand announced two 150-piece limited-edition Overseas ‘Everest’ models – a Chronograph and a Dual Time model – that were also crafted in titanium and clearly inspired by the aesthetic of the prototype developed for Richards. These limited editions were snapped up by the Vacheron Constantin faithful, but only one of each variant reportedly made their way to Australia, meaning the appetites of many local collectors were left unsatisfied.

That brings us to today and the four Vacheron Constantin Dual Time Cardinal Points references, which further build upon the Richards prototype and the Everest models to offer what is arguably the purest expression of a Vacheron Constantin sports watch to date.

The Cardinal Points collection differs from both of its titanium-cased predecessors by coming with a full titanium integrated bracelet as standard. Reportedly, owners of the Everest models could request a titanium bracelet at an extra cost, but as it was never widely publicised as an option, very few are likely to have existed before the Cardinal Points’ arrival. It also differs in that there are four different dial colours, each representing a different compass direction: white for north, recalling snow and ice; brown for south, evoking deserts and plains; blue for east, representing both the oceans and the sky; and green for west, for tropical jungles and new life.

Titanium might be an uncommon material in Vacheron Constantin’s modern lineup, but the maison has been more willing to experiment with this contemporary metal  – or unusual metals in general – than some of its peers. Vacheron Constantin famously created a pocket watch made almost entirely out of aluminium, the ref. 4348, for a Canadian aluminium producer in the ’30s. The Quai de l’Île range in the 2000s experimented with titanium, palladium and tantalum, and titanium bezels appeared on the second-generation Overseas, albeit mounted atop stainless-steel cases.

It wasn’t until the Overseas Everest models in 2021 that a Vacheron Constantin boasted a titanium case, and until 2022 that we saw an all-titanium watch – that is, a titanium case, bezel and bracelet – in the Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton. The Cardinal Points remains one of only a handful of Overseas models available with a full titanium bracelet and is the most approachably priced of its featherweight family members.

The Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton was particularly notable thanks to the way Vacheron Constantin chose to approach the metal. We’re used to seeing titanium receive rather functional finishes, but instead, Vacheron Constantin treated the Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton’s titanium case as if it were made from precious metal, with finishing details including an exquisitely mirror-polished bezel, a grained bezel plinth and a vertically brushed case with adroitly polished bevels cascading down the case sides and bracelet. It was a characteristically Vacheron way of finishing titanium, and it’s a treatment that subsequent titanium Overseas models have also received.

The Cardinal Points’ 41mm case is similarly well finished, with slightly larger surfaces offering plenty of real estate for mirror polishing, but it does deviate slightly from its predecessors. A matte anthracite finish on the bezel, crown and pusher ring emphasises its sportier positioning, with the bezel sitting on a radially brushed plinth. Rated to 150 metres, its case also provides slightly more water resistance than other Overseas models.

There are also subtle changes to be found on the Cardinal Points’ dial. The eagle-eyed might notice that the 12, 3 and 9 o’clock indices are appreciably larger than those found on other Overseas models, giving more of that crucial legibility when you’re scaling a mountain or simply on the move. The matte grained finish common to all four dial variants is also distinctly more utilitarian than the richly lacquered sunray treatments more commonly associated with Overseas dials. You even get pops of high-vis orange from the dual time and AM/PM hands, a motif that is repeated in the Cardinal Points’ strap options beyond the integrated titanium bracelet: each watch ships with two additional straps, a dial colour-matching textile-effect rubber strap with orange saddle-stitching, as well as another, fully orange rubber strap with a Maltese cross texture. It’s easy to swap one strap for another thanks to the Overseas’ excellent quick-exchange system, which, almost a decade on from its introduction with this current generation of the Overseas, remains one of the best of its kind.

Like other Overseas Dual Time models, the Cardinal Points is powered by the in-house true GMT calibre 5110 DT/3, but unlike other Dual Times, the Cardinal Points’ movement has received a unique dark grey NAC treatment on the bridges that evokes the signature dark hue of titanium and contrasts nicely with some of the visible elements of the gear train and the balance spring. As is to be expected from Vacheron Constantin, this calibre has received the Poinçon de Genève (a certificate awarded to timepieces with superior movement finishing), with the maison’s finishing flourishes found throughout: Côtes de Genève, hand bevelling, countersunk screws and perlage, even on the underside of the mainplate.

It’s a slightly idiosyncratic yet highly functional take on a dual-time movement: rather than a 24-hour hand to display home time, the oversized arrow-tipped dual time hand completes a circuit of the dial in 12 hours and is complemented by a dedicated day/night indicator at 9 o’clock. The screw-down pusher at 4 o’clock advances the date display at 6 o’clock, but also visually balances the otherwise asymmetrical dial layout required with this calibre. A 60-hour power reserve also makes it weekend-proof, which is perfect for the small few who can resist reaching for it every morning.

There’s something undeniably compelling about a conservative brand cutting loose and doing something a bit radical. Think a bright yellow Mercedes, Dior Air Jordan 1s or fried chicken and champagne (all combinations that true connoisseurs endorse). It’s what made the Overseas Dual Time Everest so exciting, and it’s why the Cardinal Points is equally convincing, perhaps even more so, as the four dial colours and bright orange strap options push it even further into the territory of adventure. It speaks to the versatility of the Overseas’ design that it can be pushed in such a sporty direction, with the Cardinal Points collection sitting comfortably alongside more delicate, complicated takes on the Overseas formula, such as the Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton or more restrained takes, such as the two-handed platinum-cased Self-Winding Ultra-Thin 2500V, which was released alongside the Cardinal Points.

Even without the Cory Richards connection, the Cardinal Points lineup still makes sense. It’s in the very name of the model range – Overseas. It’s a watch that’s explicitly inspired by global travel, drawing both from the ocean-charting Vacheron Constantin marine chronometers produced in the early 20th century and the luxurious lifestyle of the international jet set of the ’50s. Combine the ability to track multiple time zones with a lightweight and tough titanium case, and you have an ideal travel watch – yet one that is by no means austere, offering collectors refined finishing and a touch of luxury, with that 22c solid gold rotor swinging above immaculate waves of metal as a reminder that this is indeed a product of one of the industry’s most respected watchmakers.

As a lifelong fan of Vacheron Constantin, I confess that the Overseas, the Overseas Dual Time, and perhaps most of all, the Overseas Dual Time Everest, have long been my grail watches. But the Cardinal Points might just have pipped the Everest for top spot. Yes, the Everest is more exclusive, and there’s something about the raw aesthetic of its Cordura strap that really appeals, but there’s an argument to be made that the Cardinal Points is a more cohesive and complete take on an ultra-sporty Overseas. That it ships with a full titanium bracelet is certainly a big factor, but I also think the four dial colours – and simply having that choice – make it feel more au courant; more vivacious.

Vacheron Constantin has long been one of the most versatile watchmakers on the planet – the byproduct of more than 270 years of uninterrupted innovation and relevance – and yet, the brand continues to find ways to experiment and challenge expectations. The Overseas Dual Time Cardinal Points is proof positive of that: an action-ready Overseas that is equipped to tackle everything that travel can throw at you, from the ocean to the office and everywhere in between.

Hodinkee Australia & New Zealand Vol. 1 is available now, with three different cover stars: A. Lange & Söhne, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin editions. Order your favourite cover online here, or from newsagents around the country.