Last week, Vacheron Constantin held an event in New York City centered around the recent attempt of Cory Richards, a noted professional photographer (you might recognize the name from his work with National Geographic) and long-distance explorer as well as VC ambassador, to trailblaze a fresh route up Mount Everest along  the Tibetan North-East Ridge. This wasn’t the first time Richards has climbed Mount Everest, he’s summited the world-famous peak twice before, including once without the help of additional oxygen in 2016. Unfortunately, this journey had to be shut down midway through as the weather conditions deteriorated.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time prototype for Cory Richards
For watch enthusiasts, what is most interesting about Richards’ effort is what was strapped to his wrist. Vacheron worked with the explorer to develop a prototype version of the brand’s Overseas Dual Time in titanium with a tantalum reinforcement integrated underneath the bezel. The overall appearance of the prototype, with its usage of cool gray tones and bright orange accents, is a departure for Vacheron as a whole, which has long approached its design ideals with a more sober mindset. The presence of titanium is a bit of a surprise as well given that the light-weight metal has been rarely used by Vacheron previously. The dial has an attractive grained finish that works well with the sporty look of the Overseas line. Two crowns extend from the watch’s r...