Reply With QuoteA consensus on TZ; you'l be lucky.
Just interested to hear what people think with regards to VC, specifically their Overseas range.
- Are they fragile?
- expensive to maintain?
- do they hold their value
- Anyone with first hand experience of the differences between the current iteration of the Overseas Chrono with the date at 4 o'clock and the previous iteration at 12.00 oclock?
thanks!
A consensus on TZ; you'l be lucky.
I disagree.Originally Posted by paskinner
Not really – assuming you’re referring to the previous generations. The latest, with their in-house movements, are too new to tell with absolute certainty yet – but in all likelihood, they’ll be no different to the JLC and F Piguet movements fitted before.
Routine service costs are higher, and with typical careful usage, you shouldn’t be presented with any nasty additional costs.
Value retention is akin to that of warm water retention by a chocolate teapot. For that reason alone, you’d be best to stick with 2nd Gen models, as even with a decent 20-25% discount, you will still lose a good bit more when it comes to moving on a current 3rd Gen piece.
Presumably you’re referring to the chronographs here – the previous gen 49150 with big date at 12, which was an F Piguet chronograph with VC’s big date module. The 5500V’s movement beats a little faster than the 49150’s, so the chronograph timing will be slightly more accurate, and it has a 12 hours or so longer power reserve.
First generation Overseas are beautifully made, are relatively affordable in VC terms, not too much to service (again relatively speaking), and continue to gently gain in value. A good way into the brand, particularly if you find the later versions to be on the large side. Certainly not fragile - the movement is very thin but it's a solid watch and bracelet.
Thanks PJS, yes the two I was referring to are below - B148 and the 49150 which is the bottom one? - I just happened to see the B148 in WoS in London recently....And actually thought it was stunning - pictures don't do it justice....but then so was the price. A quick search on Chrono24 seems to throw up a whole bunch of wildly differing figures - and as you say, none even for a new one are near the RRP, so I was guessing that it wasn't a sound investment....but then very few watches are I suppose!
fundamentally, I think I'm a sucker for blue dialled watches....and don't yet seem to own one.
I personally love the gen 3 models and a big thing for me is the transparent casebacks to get eyes on those nicely finished movements.
Just need the 2nd hand values to drop like a stone so that I can afford one...
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yes the clear caseback is superb... And the dial colour is something to behold. And yes, second hand values need to drop....a lot!
I have been looking at the dual time and depreciation is nuts. New they are 22k and can be had for 9k used! Do they stabilise at this price or do they keep falling?
They are stable at the moment and if anything have increased a small amount over the last 18 months. Steel bracelets are more sought after and are a work of art.
Can only speak for the 49140, but they are beautiful watches with superb bracelets and are not remotely fragile; quite the opposite. Which is just as well as servicing is hefty and takes an age.
Personally I much prefer the aesthetic of the older model as, for me, the date window at 4 0'clock kills the new version.
Last edited by hhhh; 28th May 2018 at 13:36.
I have a 41940 from 2001. To my mind it's a wonderful watch, and I wear it regularly (and probably more than many of my others in a 16 watch collection). I've had it for about a year now, and it still looks pristine having been serviced by VC before I acquired it. The calibre 1137/Frederic Piguet 1185 movement keeps great time, and is a thing of beauty (although you can't see it due to the rather nice solid case back).
I can't think of a better chrono for the money that these go for, and there's zero chance of me selling it.
just out of interest, do you ever swap the bracelet for a strap? If you do, is it reasonably straight forward? One of the selling points for me in the latest model is the ability to change straps/bracelet over very easily with the quick release system.
yes, that makes sense - I think that the white dial and steel go perfectly together. I haven't actually seen this version for real, just the blue dial which does work well with the blue strap as well as bracelet. I've rarely come across a watch on first viewing that I've actually been smitten by....but this was it....Probably need to calm the horses a little and get some more valid feedback before I make the plunge.
I think the sunburst grey dial is absolutely beautiful on this, with my preference being the leather strap. I kept looking at them on Chrono24 but good ones are about £10k and then you are getting into ROO territory and I just think the OS might be a bit of a compromise (for me at least). There are some excellent YouTube videos from Tim Mosso on them and he loves it! Said it is much more robust than the ROO... a proper tool watch you can do it all with.
Very interested in your progress!
Not surprising the consensus is they are great watches but value wise do they continues to lose value or stabilise at some point?
I have looked at the ROO but.....just feel that they are just too.....well....dressy! I love that the VCO will most probably fly right under the radar in most situations and with most people and is actually, as you point out, much tougher than the ROO which is certainly required the way that I wear my watches.
I have this which is the previous version - bought new with discount but still a money loser. However, great watch and one of my favourites. Feels very stuudy and have had no issues with it. The bracelet is a work of art and I find the even though the watch/bracelet has a lot of polished angles - it does not seem to pickup scuffs and scratches like a Royal Oak does or a Nautilus. Water resistance of 150M, antimagnetic and good timekeeper - it is an ideal general purpose watch.
The current version of the Overseas is different and I have looked at them a number of times - I particularly liked the idea of the changing straps system. However, having examined the feature - it does not appear as robust as I would have expected.
Thing is the ROO on rubber strap works really well as a casual watch. The only thing the ROO has over the VCO is value retention imo. Build quality they are not able to be split, both can be dressed up and down as well. Also I have to agree fewer people would have heard of VC compared to the AP and that’s a plus for me.
Would you mind elaborating on your view there on the strap changing?
I have this which is the previous version - bought new with discount but still a money loser. However, great watch and one of my favourites. Feels very stuudy and have had no issues with it. The bracelet is a work of art and I find the even though the watch/bracelet has a lot of polished angles - it does not seem to pickup scuffs and scratches like a Royal Oak does or a Nautilus. Water resistance of 150M, antimagnetic and good timekeeper - it is an ideal general purpose watch.
The current version of the Overseas is different and I have looked at them a number of times - I particularly liked the idea of the changing straps system. However, having examined the feature - it does not appear as robust as I would have expected.
I currently have a BLNR, Breguet Marine and a Monaco and seriously considering chopping in the lot for a 5500v with black panda dial. It's that versatile with the straps that it would cover all bases for me! The only problem being it's too new so there are no 2nd hand models that have lost a load of value...
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New models tend to mean the previous models lose value initially, but yes, I think at some point the older versions start to look like good value classics and either stabilise or creep back up.
My personal gripe is that all but the first gen are pretty large and far from subtle. Ok for some but they don’t hit the spot for me currently, apart perhaps for the insanely expensive 40mm extra thin. Which surely means that they know that a smaller, thinner version is the best design, as with AP’s RO, but they won’t offer one in steel. I’m still waiting for the ultimate Overseas that combines the best features of the 222 onwards - or at least one that’s not in white gold with a telephone number price tag.
Yes - one of the ADs I buy from had the latest Blue Overseas chrono in for me to try on as they knew I was interested in purchasing one. It comes with three straps (steel bracelet,blue rubber strap and blue leather strap) and as you say the look of the watch changes when you swap the straps. The mechanism is fine at the head end where the watch strap or bracelet attaches to the watch case. When using the rubber or leather strap you need to use the deployant which interchanges between the two. The mechanism in this area is less well engineered and flops around as you change it. Both myself and the AD agreed that this aspect of the strap changing was less well engineered than the watch head end mechanism and I would have concerns about longevity.
You can see the deployant changing in this video (starts around 6 mins in) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEoM5qaFdrQ and you can see it is not as slick as the other mechanism as he fumbles around a bit when changing it.
Perfect - thanks very much :)
Once the change is done does the deployment clasp feel secure when used? It’s good to hear the watch end end is secure as this is where my concern lies with quick change straps.
The attachment to the deployment clasp is just a thin spigot that revolves when placed in the matching socket on the deployment clasp to lock in place. If the deployment clasp is open then it swivels/flops around particularly during the attachment process. Considering the price of the watch and compared to the head end mechanism , it looks cheap and not very well engineered. Once the deployment clasp is closed then you cannot feel this looseness but the only thing holding the deployment to the end of the strap is the thin spigot.
Ah ok. That’s a bit of a miss.
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