Last year?s big release from Vacheron Constantin, the reintroduction of the legendary 222, sparked all kinds of speculation that we?d get another variant of that sports watch at this year?s Watches & Wonders. Maybe one in steel" Or with new complications" As it turns out, we didn?t get a 222 of any kind this year, but VC paid respect to its contemporary integrated bracelet sports watch, a watch whose lineage can be traced back directly to the 222, by adding a complication that is deeply tied to the brand?s identity, a retrograde date display. It?s a first for the Overseas collection, which is itself kind of surprising. It?s one of those watches you can?t quite believe didn?t exist before now, and now that it?s here, it feels that much more well integrated with the rest of the collection. 
The new Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date features the same 41mm steel case profile that the brand has been using since the collection was relaunched in 2016. The Overseas, while pre-dating the hysteria for integrated bracelet sports watches by many years (the line was introduced in 1996) was part of a later group of integrated bracelet watches to really catch fire with collectors in the recent boom, following the Royal Oak and Nautilus, but ahead of watches like the newer Alpine Eagle from Chopard. It has a character that is distinct from its competitors, and is uniquely Vacheron, dominated by a complex notched bezel and less intense case geometry. The Overseas,...