E-Paper
Sign In
Tue, Nov 11, 2025 | Jumada al-Awwal 20, 1447 | Fajr 05:13 | DXB 
31.1°C
iPhone | iPad
Android
Watch review: Dh135,000 Overseas Panda Chronograph is one for the connoisseurs of luxury
Along with fellow Swiss maisons Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, the Vacheron Constantine brand forms the highest echelon of horology and has been so since 1755
As one among the Holy Trinity of Haute Horology and the oldest watchmaker in existence, Vacheron Constantin has a pedigree that competitors would give an arm and a leg for, and connoisseurs of luxury watches swoon over.
Along with fellow Swiss maisons Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, the Vacheron Constantine brand forms the highest echelon of horology – the Holy Trinity, as it’s called in the world of watches — and has been so since 1755, when it was founded in Geneva, Switzerland.
Recommended For You
With 270 years of an unbroken tradition of fine watchmaking, Vacheron Constantin — or VC, as it’s more popularly called — knows a thing or two about making a fine watch. Among the many exploits that the brand has under its long belt is the watch with the most complications in the world. But the Overseas Panda Chronograph is a more simple, though sophisticated, affair.
As a brand that takes pride in having tradition and purity as its calling card, VC took its time to enter the segment of the integrated bracelet sports watch. The maison’s famed “Overseas” line of sporty and travel-oriented watches got a design makeover in 2016, which saw it adopt, for the first time, the bracelet-and-case-in-one design aesthetic pioneered by the legendary watch designer Gerald Genta for the Royal Oak watch from VC’s rival Audemars Piguet.
VC already had a chronograph in its Overseas collection since 1999, but when the line was redesigned into the integrated bracelet sports watch aesthetic, the initial chronograph released two years later by the house was a “reverse panda”. Collectors, of course, thought that the venerable brand had missed a trick by overlooking the panda design, and VC obliged five years later with the first “panda” Overseas chrono.
The panda dial is among the gold standard of chronograph watch design, taking its name from the eponymous Chinese animal, with the smaller black subdials of the complications on the white background of the larger main dial reminiscent of the black spots around a giant panda’s eyes and ears on the animal’s white face. The reverse panda, as the name implies, simply reverses the colours on the dial. And, as watch aficionados know, it is traditional to release a panda dial before a reverse panda — a tradition that the conservative house of VC had, surprisingly, not adhered to for the Overseas chrono.
But rectification is on hand with the Overseas Panda Chrono, which is another masterpiece in the best of VC tradition; its overall design and aesthetic, finish, sheer quality and covetability, making it yet another icon from the famed Swiss watchmaker.
The case
As much a master of materials as movements, VC has lavished great attention on the case of the all-stainless steel integrated Overseas Chrono. The case sports a finely brushed finish, with the brushing perfect to a fault, which is visually offset by a highly polished bezel and the sparkling sapphire crystal glass that make for a striking contrast.
A soft iron casing ring ensures anti-magnetic protection, and the screwed-down crown and quarter-turn screw-lock push-pieces make for a 15 bar, or 150-metre water resistance. A transparent sapphire crystal caseback displays the gorgeous VC movement, and while with a 42.5mm diameter and thickness of 13.7mm, the watch is on the slightly larger size, it will still fit most wrists comfortably.
The movement
VC’s mechanical, self-winding Calibre 5200 powers the Overseas Chrono. This in-house calibre is a column-wheel chronograph movement with no less than 263 components and 54 jewels. It beats at a high 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4Hz, and offers a power reserve of 52 hours. And the piece de resistance is the solid gold rotor for automatic winding, which is clearly displayed through the exhibition caseback.
The dial
The most vital part of any watch is the dial, and VC has nailed this on the Overseas Panda Chronograph. A subtle sunburst finish characterises the silvery white main dial, which makes the three black subdials — one for the running seconds and two chronograph counters — visually pop despite being slightly recessed. All hands — hour-markers and hours, minutes, seconds, and subdial hands — are made of 18k white gold and highlighted with Super-LumiNova. Legibility is brilliant, whether day or night. A framed date window anchors the dial at 4.30-o’clock by subtly and cleverly offsetting the symmetry.
The straps
As an integrated bracelet sports watch, this VC comes with a brushed stainless-steel bracelet with half Maltese cross-shaped polished and satin-brushed links. Two additional straps are provided — a black calfskin leather with grey stitching and a black rubber strap.
A stainless-steel triple-blade folding clasp with push-pieces and patented interchangeable system is compatible with both additional straps.
Whether chairing a board meeting, timing a lap on your supercar, piloting your superyacht or simply sipping an espresso on the French riviera, the Dh135,000 Vacheron Constantin Overseas Panda Chronograph is a versatile watch that lends style, panache, and sophistication to any attire and any occasion.
Don’t just scroll. Know it all. Sign up for your daily UAE news fix.
Get the top stories of the day right in your inbox.
