How To Wear Your Watch Like A Fashion Editor: Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Self-Winding High Jewellery Watch
Vacheron Constantin is one of the OG haute horologists, and its Overseas Self-Winding High Jewellery watch pays homage to an age-old alchemy of precious materials and precision
If there are two things Switzerland is known for, it’s fine timepieces, and snow. With Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Self-Winding High Jewellery watch, you get a decadent dose of both. This timepiece makes no apologies about its unashamed splendour – there’s 314 diamonds on the dial alone. But these are no ordinary diamonds – no, these are snow-set diamonds. Those in the know catch a glimpse of this technique and immediately understand the headache behind the scenes.
Designed to appear as if the jewels have simply fluttered from the sky and landed like freshly-fallen snowflakes, snow-set diamonds seem like they are set at random, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Unlike pavé diamond setting, there is no uniform grid for the artisan to follow. Each diamond requires its own uniquely-tailored seat, at the perfect depth and angle to create a carpet of sparkle. This is sprezzatura at its most die-hard – one wrong placement and the effect goes frommagical to messy. The diamonds are tiny, but must be placed in impeccably close quarters – if you apply too much pressure you may crack the stone; use too little force, and it may fall out. Even once set, if you overpolish the gold you can weaken the setting, if you underpolish, then you lose the seamless gleam. Snow-setting is, in fact, the Goldilocks of jewellery-making savoir faire.
Luckily, when it comes to perfectionism, Vacheron Constantin already knows a thing or two. Founded in Geneva in 1755, the Swiss maison has an extraordinary legacy for crafting high-precision watches, and still holds the title for creating the world’s most complicated watch, featuring no fewer than 1,521 components.
The Overseas, meanwhile, was introduced in 1996 as an ultra-luxe sports watch with easy-breezy universal appeal, and today’s model features a powerful selfwinding calibre 1088/1. For men, women, diamonds or no diamonds, this is the ultimate chameleon watch that one moment (with a chic leather strap) feels fit for the boardroom, and the next (switch to its diamond-dappled bracelet) is ready for high-octane, after-dark dressing.
But the moment that the diamond-encrusted model really comes into its own? When dressed down like it’s no biggie. Pair it with Sacai’s scarf hem T-shirt, a slim pencil skirt à la Khaite, and Ferragamo’s charming bow-adorned flats, and you have yourself the perfect recipe for offduty, cool girl energy. Add electric blue accessories, oversized sunnies, and a swipe of VB’s pewter eyeshadow and you will look just the right side of nonchalant to still say “What, this old thing?” when they’re dazzled by your bling.
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Note: This content was created and printed prior to February 28, 2026
Fashion Edit by Charlotte Marsh-Williams
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia March 2026 Issue