Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph Panda 5500V/110A-B686 Vacheron Constantin Watch Review

Hi, this is Tim at the 1916 Company. Welcome and thanks for logging on. If you love this watch, email me. Tim also at the1916company.com for purchase pricing and availability questions concerning this watch. Today, we discuss a model launched in 2023 based on the third generation Vacheron Constantin overseas chronograph. This is the Panda. In stainless steel, the Panda variant launched in 2023 with a dial that will be instantly familiar to fans of classical chronographs. It's 42.5 millimeters in diameter, 13.9 millimeters thick. From lug to lug, for just measuring the case, it is 50.6 millimeters. But if we measure the outermost link, you can see that the total distance across the wrist is a beefier 56.1. Don't be afraid of that though. I'll throw it on my wrist, which is a modest 16 centimeters in circumference, and you'll note that it does fit. In fact, it comes with two straps, one in rubber, one in leather with a second deployant clasp, so that if you want it to fit even better and proportionally look a little bit less massive, you can put it on that strap and it's easy to do. I'll zoom out and give you proportion so you can see my arm in relation to the wrist. I'm actually, I'm not a small person. I don't have small hands. So you might find proportionally as a total aesthetic. It looks natural on my wrist. So I'm going to opine that it's good for my wrist size and up. Now it'll fit under most cuffs, especially jacket sleeves, though it is fairly chunky. And what I've always thought about the Overseas Chrono is that at least in its second and third generations, but particularly in its third, this feels more like Vacheron's rival to the Royal Oak Offshore. This doesn't feel like a Royal Oak chronograph. This feels like a Royal Oak Offshore chronograph in terms of its size and fit and aesthetic. And that is sort of borne out by some of the durabilities, including 150 meter water resistance, which is more than an offshore and three times a Royal Oak chronograph. Plus it has a soft iron ring around the movement that gives it 25,000 ampere per meter, anti-magnetic resistance. Also important to note, this bracelet is just chock-a-block with features and it really is stacked. You've got a quick release system, so you can very easily fit those accessory straps that I mentioned. You can also see how intricately finished each individual link is. They must have spent a ton of time on this bracelet in total. Deeply impressive, it becomes more so when you realize that on both sides, every single link is removable. So you have a lot of sizing flexibility. Also note the size of an intermediate link. So you have the ability, if you do find yourself in between sizes with these removable links, you've got that intermediate to fine tune, but you also have this. There is a micro adjustment on both sides of the clasp. And so we have about 1.5 millimeters of sleeved push-in, pull-out adjustability. In case you're wondering, well, how easy is it really to put that quick release bracelet back on? It's very easy indeed. So the finishing, particularly inside of the link crevice is really impressive. We have a double folding clasp. This is the only piece here that feels like a purchased part. You can see it has a manufacturer's logo on it, but when it's closed, you don't actually see it. Maltese cross exterior, the symbol of the brand. Notice that it's motif that repeats down the center of the links. You'll also find it on the inside of the clasp as well as on the crown. It is also echoed in the design of the bezel and you will find it on the case back as well. In fact, you will find it on the case back here and here. Taking a look at the dial. Yes, Panda. Tone on tone, black on silver. And you can see we have white gold hands, logo and indices. These pieces will never tarnish or oxidize. Notice outboard, we've got a lacquered black track for chronograph seconds and fractions of seconds. And then we have a metallic sunburst dial center with a different sort of silver white brushed satination to the minutes and seconds tracking board of that. And an azurage concentric pattern for each of the sunken black sub registers. Let's take a look at the lume. It is a well loomed watch with bright blue lume. We do have a quick set for the date, though the watch does not feature a hacking seconds function. That's probably the only modern feature it lacks. Now, as I often note on particularly well-tuned movements, there's very little dead angle. As you move the crown, the hands jump almost instantly. Screw that back down. Now we have a chronograph that has a sharp column wheel for very crisp actuation. And because it's a vertical clutch, it starts up without any jump, stagger or extraneous movement. In fact, if you just want to leave the chrono running, you can do so. The vertical clutch creates no additional wear and tear. Now, of course, prior to the third generation overseas, which debuted as a collection in 2016, there was never a display case back on the overseas series. They were watches, only I had more fingernail here. No, it's not necessary. Yeah, I have to manicure for your viewing pleasure. But prior to the third generation overseas, there was never a display case back, never a manufactured caliber and never Geneva Hallmark. Well, they made up for lost time as we have here a large caliber 5,200 automatic winding chronograph caliber with a 22 carat rotor ceramic bearings on the winding system, 52 hour power reserve Geneva Hallmark decoration. And you can see Poisson de Genève on both case and movement as it is now a full watch standard, not just a movement decoration standard. The 22 carat rotor with a compass rose pattern featuring no fewer than four different decorations. You could see that the column wheel actually has a Maltese cross at its center. Attention to detail is excellent. Four Hertz beat rate, 54 jewels, high horology style, five position adjustment. We have many narrow stripes. We have engine turning on the base plate, black polished screw heads with chamfered slots and circumference. We also have satination on the wheels. My favorite detail here is the chiseling on the rotor. You can see that hand chiseling that's performed with a tiny drill bit or a tremblage effect using a small hammer. And then you can see that not only do we have mirrored on gloss on the edge of the bridges, which we do have, but we also have it in all of the jewel sinks as well. It's beautifully executed. A watch to adore, even if you're not necessarily a fan of Pandas. If you love this watch, reach out to Team Osso at the1916company.com for purchase and pricing details.