The moment I laid eyes on the new Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date I simply loved it. Not only the watch sports one of my favorite dial colors but it is also one of my favorite complications that screams Vacheron Constantin all the way.

This year, Vacheron Constantin focused their novelties around the retrograde complication and I love that about their releases for Watches & Wonders 2023 as the brand is very well known for being pioneers when it comes to retrograde date indications.

Additionally, I love that the new Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date marks the first sports watch and the first Overseas to be equipped with a retrograde display.

I have a soft spot for the Overseas collection and for novelties that are not ‘in your face’. When I go back and think about all the different watches I perused at the show, my mind keeps going back to the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date. If I think about Rolex’s releases I find them very ‘out of the blue’ and random. When I think about Patek, I feel there’s really not one watch that I would like to wear from the novelties that were presented and for the rest of the brands out there I really don’t find anything too memorable, perhaps the new green Laurent Ferrier, but other than that, there is really nothing else out there that made such an incredible impression as this new Overseas.

At this point in my watch collecting life, I am also quite jaded and I am starting to gravitate towards becoming a one or two watch person at some point. Because of this, a watch like the new Overseas Moon Phase Retrograde Date seems like a great watch for every day wear thanks to its automatic movement and relative simplicity.

This new watch is also a very under the radar watch equipped with a 41 mm stainless steel case and the iconic blue lacquered dial with its velvet-finish flange and sunburst satin-brushed center that can be worn in formal or casual occasions or for different types of activities. The complications are displayed with extreme legibility and the layout seems to flow naturally without trying to hard. Furthermore, the ability to wear this watch on its bracelet or on a rubber or calf strap within a matter of seconds, makes it way more interesting than other novelties presented at Watches & Wonders 2023. 

Lastly, its automatic movement allows for all adjustments to be done via the crown including winding, correction of the date and moon phases, as well as setting the time. While a manual wound watch and the every other day ritual of winding it, I prefer an automatic movement where I don’t have to worry about anything else other than wearing the watch at leisure. 

On the wrist, this new Overseas wears just as good as all the other Overseas watches in the collection and the moon phase indication along with the retrograde date function are two things that are immediate conversation starters and I love being able to talk about watches pretty much with anyone at anytime.

And for the price, where else can you get this caliber of watch with this pedigree for every day wear?

For more info on Vacheron Constantin click here.