Vacheron Constantin debuted a seriously hot new Overseas Dual Time watch this week in New York City’s Greenwich Village, along with new brand ambassador Cory Richards. The National Geographic photographer and adventurer wore the watch on a recent attempt to summit a new route on Mount Everest—he has already reached the peak twice, once without oxygen in 2016—but Mother Nature proved a formidable opponent when the weather prevented the completion of his ascent.
During his climb, the new Dual Time watch allowed him to tell time both in Tibet and back home in the States, while its über-tough and ultralight case was able to withstand the extreme conditions of the world’s toughest mountain. For the rest of us, it simply offers a beautifully executed sports watch.
Cory Richards Photo: Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin
The 41 mm case is forged in titanium and features a reinforcement beneath the bezel and crown made of tantalum—a rare, very hard and corrosion-resistant blue-gray metal. To highlight that tone, the watch was outfitted with a blue-gray frosted dial and features orange accents. The day/night indicator and a small triangle at 4 o’clock, which indicates the pusher that sets the local time, are also orange.
The watch comes on a blue-gray strap made of a waterproof Ventile technical fabric (it also comes with a leather strap and, interestingly, the one Richards chose for his climb came on a bracelet) and has orange stitching. Other standout design features include larger white hour markers at 12, 3 and 9 o’clock.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Protoype Courtesy of Vacheron Constantin
Flip it over and you’ll find a 22-karat gold oscillating rotor engraved with a view of Everest based on one of Richards’ photos. It powers the self-winding mechanical movement, which has 60 hours of power reserve, 234 components, and keeps time to an accuracy of 4 hertz (28,800 vibrations per hour).
