Vacheron Constantin has added beautifully diamond-set watches to its sports luxe Overseas line
Fully paved with snow setting technique, 18K pink gold hours and minute hands, with 12 baguette-cut diamonds
The resurging popularity of gem-studded jewellery watches has prompted Vacheron Constantin to start a fresh chapter for its Overseas line. Enter the fully gem-set Overseas Self-Winding 35mm High Jewellery watch, offered in 18k white gold or 18k 5N rose gold.
Jewellery watches are hardly new territory for it. ‘Dating back to its founding in 1755, Vacheron Constantin has a fascinating history of jewellery watches,’ says Christian Selmoni, the watchmaker’s style and heritage director. ‘Diamond-set watches in our private collection include elaborate pendant and chatelaine-style watches from the Art Nouveau period at the end of the 19th century and strong geometric shapes that characterised Art Deco style in the 1920s and ’30s.’
The maison’s archive is rich with diamond-set pieces, Selmoni notes, but what’s most striking is how early Vacheron Constantin began treating precious stones as more than just embellishment. ‘It’s notable that since the late 19th century, Vacheron Constantin’s designers have continued to imagine jewellery watches where precious gems are an integral part of the design, rather than simply a highlight on the bezel or lugs,’ he says.
‘Because we have been nurturing the craft of gem-setting in our own workshops for a century and a half, our designers and gem-setters have been able to work hand-in-hand, constantly developing new ways to celebrate the beauty of precious stones.’
Vacheron Constantin’s new gem-set 35mm Overseas Self-Winding high-jewellery timepiece in 18k 5N pink gold and 18k white gold
‘First introduced in 2023, the 35mm Overseas was designed as a smaller, more streamlined take on the collection’s sport-luxe design. For 2026, it showcases the maison’s gem-setting prowess, with both new models encrusted with 1,430 brilliant- and baguette-cut diamonds, spanning the case, dial, and bracelet.
The bezel, with its Maltese cross-inspired structure, takes things further, with 60 baguette-cut diamonds. Then there’s the dial, which is finished using a snow-setting technique, with 314 brilliant-cut diamonds in different sizes scattered across the surface and packed close together so the watch face shimmers like fresh snow catching the light.
Powered by the manufacture self-winding calibre 1088/1 with a pretty hefty 40-hour power reserve, the watches also feature 12 baguette-cut diamonds that serve as hour markers. Both models come with two additional interchangeable straps, in rubber and shiny alligator leather, as well as a diamond-set interchangeable buckle to match.
‘Culture is constantly evolving and today, in every aspect of life, the strict boundaries that once existed between formality and informality have become increasingly blurred. This has liberated designers in every field to rethink how aesthetics and purpose work together,’ says Selmoni, explaining how these models fit into a sporty lifestyle.
