Vacheron Constantin

you will have to be careful about how and who you purchase from. And as both references are retired, you will want to assume that the watch will need service in the very near term unless the owner has been good about that and has records of having it serviced. Feel free to contact me via PM to run by me any pieces you are considering. 

There are very few people more knowledgeable about VC than our Moderator!

I have a 6.5 inch wrist and both Ref. 42042 and Ref. 49140.  Like you, I also like these 1st Generation OS watches because they are smaller than their future generations.  Did you know the the Overseas collection are Tonneau shapped watches?  I didn't realize that until VC wrote a couple of Articles on the history of their tonneau watches.





Here are a couple of wristshots, to give you an idea of how they look.








The chronograph is much thicker, so I don't know if that is a consideration for you.  (12.6mm vs. 8.5mm).





I'll be honest, I only use the chronograph function while traveling (I like the 12 hour totalizer for trips between the US and Asia) and for making coffee in a French Press.

The OS chronometer came out in several versions:  men's, boy's, and women's.  (with mechanical and quartz movements).  I believe the one you are interested in is the Men's version, which is 37mm, with a cal 1310/1311 automatic movement.  Mine is of this variety.

If I had to choose only one OS, it would be the 42042, because the dial is cleaner, I don't use the chronograph function that often and it is thinner.  (I do like the big date of the chronograph, especially as my eyes get older).

There are many counterfeit OS watches out there, and some look quite realistic.  If you can get the seller to provide you both the case and movement serial numbers, you can contact VC's Concierge (in the US and I believe in Euope as well).  They can confirm the numbers match and the year of production.

But in general, it is best to buy from a reputable seller...that is a phrase I learned here on PuristsPro years ago:  "Buy the seller".

Let us know what you decide.  Either OS is a great daily watch.

Best Regards, Dan

 

 

 

 

This message has been edited by dshao1 on 2014-07-11 22:22:12

Hi Dan

That is a really nice feature of the OS, starting with the 2nd generation. The bracelet on the Gen. 1 watches is also not as nice as the newer bracelets with the Maltese cross theme.

BR, Dan

I usually am not drawn to the OS, but there are a couple exceptions, and your model is one of them!   Arabics on blue are fantastic!

Our moderator, Bill, is the one that uncovered this information years after he initially bought his Overseas.  I started searching for this one after learning about this, and Bill helped me track one down!  (like many others here, we are grateful to Bill for more than just the info he shares online!)

One of the things I love about VC is that even into the 90s, they just created a LE watch and put it out for sale...without publicizing them at all, even the retailers didn't know about this when it was out on the market.  VC is so discreet that as a collector...I love them for it.  If I was in sales...I would hate it.

(Even into the 1960s, VC would create no more than 24 identical pieces before changing the dial, hands, or something else.  They did not consider these Limited Editions...it was just their standard practice to ensure there weren't too many identical watches out in there.)  Gotta love it!

BR, Dan

Sorry Dan didnt know that gen 1 series didnt do straps , learning a lot of new things abt VC since i joined here... I was really hoping to put a leather starp on a 42042  a bit sad wont b able to that but on the upside yes love the fact that  making LE pieces was just their normal way of  business.

I love when businesses with an outstanding product march to their own drummer.  And when they do it with discretion, that's even more outstanding.  The whole philosophy of "don't you go the them, let them come to you". This message has been edited by watchthatman on 2014-07-12 10:55:35

I went back and looked at my old VC catalogs, which has a letter stating the "24 models of any one design". That is from 1952, and I do not have hard evidence to show when this practice ended.

Therefore I cannot say beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this practice went into the 1960s. I remembered incorrectly that the catalog was from 1962, not 1952, and that was a mistake.

Please accept my apologies, my intention was never to deceive.

Best Regards, Dan

 

Great glimpse into the history!