Vacheron Constantin Displays Moonphases: Overseas Moonphase Retrograde Date
5 min read
How does one display moon phases without losing the sporty feel of the Overseas?
At Watches and Wonders 2023, Vacheron Constantin has introduced a retrograde date with a romantic complication in their sporty chic collection of the Overseas. A precise moon phase with a retrograde date in a sporty-elegant case, that ensures extreme legibility and perfect balance, the Overseas moon phase retrograde date did take its fair share of research.
Let’s start with the retrograde date. A retrograde date display is one in which the indicator does not complete a full round of the dial, instead, it travels along its entire measurement segment and then returns back to its starting point to begin again. This mechanism requires great precision and rigorous discipline, particularly with regard to shock- and wear-resistance. No questioning Vacheron Constantin's expertise there.
A good example of this is the Mercator watch (1994) featuring a double retrograde display of trailing hours and minutes on an enameled or engraved dial. The positioning of the hand axis at 12 o'clock provided an ideal surface for expression on this model from the Métiers d'Art collection. In 1997 the Maison introduced a limited edition Saltarello watch with jumping hours and retrograde minutes on a sunray guilloché silver-toned dial.
L-R - The Mercator watch (1994) and the Saltarello yellow gold wristwatch(1997)With the advent of the new millennium, Vacheron Constantin's retrograde displays have become an integral part of the current collections. The first examples appeared in References 47245 and 47247, two wristwatches showing the days of the week at 6 o'clock and a retrograde calendar on a semi-open dial in the case of the second model.
This year at Watches and Wonders 2023, we see yet another testament to this expertise with the new Overseas moon phase retrograde date. The watch maintains all the recognizable attributes of the Overseas such as the six-sided bezel evoking the Maltese cross, the fluted crown, polished and satin-brushed finishes, a translucent lacquered dial, luminescent hour-markers, and hands and combines them with a retrograde date and a precise moon-phase. Both complications displayed here are exceptionally well-balanced and legible, making it quite user-friendly without being too cluttered. The retrograde date indicated by the central hand occupies the upper part of the dial.
Now coming to the moonphase. Displayed through a 6 o'clock aperture graduated from 0 to 291⁄2 this moon phase tells you the number of days that have elapsed since the last new moon. This complication, known as the age of the moon, corresponds to the actual cycle of the moon which completes one full rotation around the Earth in exactly 29 days, 12 hours, and 45 minutes. The precision moon-phase mechanism requires a one-day correction only every 122 years.
To further enhance user-friendliness, all adjustments including the correction of the date and moon phases, as well as setting the time can be done via the crown.
This timepiece is driven by in-house self-winding Calibre 2460 R31L/2 with a 40-hour power reserve. This 275-component movement can be viewed through the sapphire caseback, notably, the circular-grained surface of its mainplate and its 22K gold oscillating weight adorned with a stylized compass rose to recall the themes of travel and exploration.
Catering to an active lifestyle, the Overseas moon phase retrograde date watch comes on a steel bracelet accompanied by two additional straps in calfskin leather and blue rubber with the strap/bracelet interchangeability system. Elegant, sporty and versatile.
“Within the Manufacture, technical expertise is dedicated to serving elegance. The Overseas moon phase retrograde date watch combines a retrograde date, the Maison’s style signature, with a precision astronomical moon. It is a watch that displays High Watchmaking codes in a modern case adapted to everyday life. The integration of watchmaking functions and complications from the grand Geneva tradition within a sporty-chic case requires a wealth of ingenuity” - Christian Selmoni
Exploring new horizons time and again, Vacheron Constantin has succeeded in adding a romantic astronomical complication to their sporty collection and still made it look good.
TECHNICAL DATA
Overseas moon phase retrograde date
Reference : 4000V/210A-B911
Calibre : 2460 R31L/2
Developed and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin Mechanical, self-winding
22K gold Overseas oscillating weight
27.2 mm (111⁄2’’’) diameter, 5.4 mm thick Approximately 40 hours of power reserve
4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour)
Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece
Indications : Hours, minutes
Retrograde date
Precision moon phase, age of the moon
Case : Steel 41 mm diameter, 10.48 mm thick
Soft iron casing ring ensuring anti-magnetic protection Screwed-down crown
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistant tested at a pressure of 5 bar (approx. 50 metres)
Dial : Translucent blue-lacquered, sunburst satin-brushed base with velvet-finished flange
18K white gold hour-markers and hours, minutes, date hands highlighted with blue Super-LumiNova®
Straps : Steel, half Maltese cross-shaped polished and satin-brushed links, secured by a 18K 5N pink gold triple- blade folding clasp with push-pieces and comfort-adjustment system
Straps : Blue calfskin leather with grey stitches
Blue rubber
Delivered with a second steel triple-blade folding clasp with push-pieces and interchangeable system, compatible with both additional straps.
Model exclusively available from Vacheron Constantin boutiques.
