Vacheron Constantin had a lot of fun with retrograde dials at this year’s Watches & Wonders expo. From the new retrograde tourbillon for its innovative Traditionelle line to its ‘30s-inspired platinum Patrimony Retrograde Day-Date, the Swiss luxury watchmaker’s monomania became one of the hottest points of conversation at the Geneva trade show. Retrogrades, after all, are rare in their own right and usually reserved for high-end dress watches. However, Vacheron has now decided to employ its Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase range for a new retrograde that’s actually pretty sporty. Since replacing the 222 in 1996, the Overseas has been Vacheron’s flagship sports watch collection and has represented a casual tier amongst an entire range of high-end options. Retrogrades are nothing new for the brand, who’s one of the biggest proponents of the style. However, this is the first time the complication has been featured in the Overseas line. Yet, the timepiece still surprisingly maintains its sporty aesthetic. The new Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date combines a retrograde date indicator that goes from 1 to 31 — stretching from 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock on the dial — with its own arrowed hand. At the bottom of the blue dial is a moon phase indicator that reads from 0 to 29½ — the time between new moons — and only needs to be reset once every 122 years (make sure to remind your grandchildren). Moon phases are also less common on sports watches, but Vacheron has used them on its Overseas in the past and the complication has also been paired with a retrograde date specifically in the Patrimony line. Encased in stainless steel, the dial on the new Overseas comes sans numerals for the hour markers, but there is a minute track around the outside that features Arabic numerals every five minutes. The 41mm timepiece is powered by an in-house automatic Calibre 2460 R31L/2 with a 22k gold-oscillating weight visible through the caseback. Adorned with a steel bracelet, which can be swapped out easily for either a blue rubber or blue leather strap, the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date is available from Vacheron Constantin, with the price available upon request.
