Vacheron Constantin chose as the theme for the launch of its new Overseas collection the subject that has inspired the Overseas line since its beginnings, that of travel. Specifically, the 260 year-old brand dispatched renowned photographer Steve McCurry around the world to capture some of the world’s greatest man-made structures through his lens. The results came in the form of 12 photo essays related to 12 different locations around the world. The first six were announced to coincide with the launch and have been covered extensively on WorldTempus. The remaining six were revealed at the launch event in Japan.
To share some of this spirit of travel, Vacheron Constantin invited WorldTempus, along with some 30 journalists to Japan, staying in Kyoto and Tokyo. But to replicate Steve McCurry’s journeys as closely as possible, we were also challenged to capture our brief two hours of free time in Kyoto with a single photo that we had to submit for Steve McCurry’s critique at a short workshop in Tokyo.
Before experiencing life in one of the numerous Buddhist temples for which Kyoto is famous and heading off into the city in search of the most perfect and representative photo of our visit, we were all given a watch from the new Overseas collection to wear for the day. Since it was a surprise, there were no advance requests and no special treatment – you simply wore what you got. Luckily for me, it was a World Time model in the new brown dial version – the perfect companion when you are adjusting to a time zone that is seven hours ahead of your home time. Although that was the first challenge of the day, since daylight savings time meant that there was a one-hour difference between the time shown on the dial for Geneva and the actual time in Geneva. But once you took this into account, checking the time became child’s play. Your dual time zone is set at 6 o’clock and you can simply check the time in any time zone around the world around the circumference of the dial. In the case of Geneva, you quickly get used to it being at around 10 o’clock if your local time is set to Tokyo. The graduated smoked effect on the transparent disc also clearly shows whether it is night or day back home, with a black and white background to the second time zone scale as a second confirmation.
The eight-hour hands-on experience was also a chance to try out the interchangeable bracelets that Vacheron Constantin has developed for the new Overseas collection. Each model is supplied with a metal bracelet, a leather strap and a rubber strap (the two latter straps matching the dial colour) with a distinctive folding clasp bearing the Maltese cross emblem of the brand. Switching straps and bracelets is as simple as unhooking them by lifting them at an angle of 45° and fitting the new strap in the same way. So switching from metal bracelet to strap can be done in less than a minute. Each individual reference is therefore three watches in one. With a chronograph, perpetual calendar, self-winding model with date, ultra-thin and smaller diameter models available for ladies, that all adds up to a well-considered collection from the venerable Geneva brand.
