Unusual, mesmerizing, lace-like, intricate - skeleton watches truly impress with craftsmanship and design. They feature transparent dials and in many cases, transparent casebacks, allowing you to see every moving part.
👉 Not all watches with visible mechanics are skeletons. If large wheels or plates block much of the view, they’re Open Heart models.
📜 History & Principle
Luxury watch movements are made of hundreds of tiny parts. Watching them tick is both a mechanical fascination and pure beauty. As the saying goes:
“You can watch three things forever - fire 🔥, water 🌊, and a Swiss watch ⌚.”
The first skeletons appeared in the 1760s, thanks to André Charles Caron. Later, Abraham-Louis Breguet refined the idea, making it fashionable. Popularity peaked in the 20th century, and now skeletons are mainstream in luxury collections.
Skeleton-making is complex: up to 70% of metal is cut away (process: skeletonization), leaving only the frame. Parts are often decorated with engraving, guilloché, and gemstones 💎
🎭 Why Choose a Skeleton?
🌟 Aesthetics - elegance and visual drama.
⚙️ Mechanics - see the movement at work.
🏆 Craftsmanship - considered wearable art.
💼 Status - often limited editions, rare and collectible.
❗ Downside: the price. But that’s also what makes them valuable investments.
💎 Best Skeleton Watches
Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic Skeleton Gent Auto - H-pattern detailing, gray bridge, partially skeletonized.
Tissot T-Complication Squelette Mechanical - industrial look, floating subdial for seconds.
Rado True Square Open Heart - web of bridges, ceramic case, diamond indices available.
Oris Artelier Skeleton - silver guilloché ring, Super-LumiNova hands, Sellita automatic.
Zenith DEFY Classic Black Ceramic - black ceramic, star motif, date wheel at 6 o’clock.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked - dual balance wheels visible front and back.
Cartier Santos Skeleton / Crash Skeleton - Roman numerals form the skeleton, surreal “crashed” case design.
Patek Philippe Calatrava Skeleton Ref. 5180/1R - Caliber 240 SQU with hand-engraving and gems.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Skeleton - perpetual calendar, ultra-thin rose gold case.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton Ceramic - black ceramic, fully open caliber.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Diabolus In Machina - fractured design, twin micro-rotors, repeater + tourbillon.
Breguet Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Squelette 5395 - business-friendly skeleton, slim, highly legible.
