Historically, watches have always left a little something to the imagination. Namely, the mechanisms powering them. While exhibition casebacks allow wearers to view the movement from behind, the dial conceals the majority of the magic. Skeletonised, or open-worked, watches put the mechanical complexity behind a timepiece on full display, with the dial serving as a window into the gears, wheels, and bridges that make a watch tick. The best skeleton watches don’t merely slap a sapphire crystal onto the dial and call it a day; rather, they strip the movement back to the essentials, removing extraneous metal and any other superfluous elements to draw attention to the working components within.
Related: From Manual To Quartz; A Guide To The Different Types Of Watch Movements
Skeletonising a watch puts the ‘bones’ on full display, meaning every gear, wheel, and bridge is decorated and finished to perfection. Serving as an opportunity for manufactures to showcase their horological savoir faire, the best skeletonised watches combine mechanical complexity with aesthetic perfection.
The best skeleton watches in 2024
1. Arnold & Son Time Pyramid Tourbillon
Boasting old world elegance and mystique in equal measure, the Arnold & Son Time Pyramid Tourbillon is a deft display of the art of revealing and concealing. The gear train is built on a vertical line that connects to a tourbillon at 12 o’clock, with the symmetrical movement creating a visually balanced dial. The use of negative space on the upper half of the dial nods to mystery watches, while the skeletonisation allows the Swiss-British manufacture to showcase its mastery in decoration and finishings; the movement is adorned with polished edges, bevelled edges, and Côtes de Genève stripes. The symmetrical approach extends onto the case itself, with the crown tucked between the lugs at 6 o’clock.
Price: $50,400CHF (approx. $88,460AUD)
Model: Time Pyramid Tourbillon
Movement: manual winding
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Size: 44.6mm
Related: The Best British Watch Brands Are Doing Things Differently
2. Piaget Polo Skeleton
Piaget has cemented itself as a master of ultra-thin watchmaking. Here, it puts its streamlined movement on full display with the Piaget Polo Skeleton which blends sporty and dressy codes. The brushed rose gold case harmonises with the blue sunburst satin-brushed main plate which plays host to satin-brushed wheels and an engraved micro-rotor. It’s presented on a blue alligator leather strap.
Price: $76,000AUD
Model: Polo Skeleton
Movement: automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Size: 42mm
3. Bovet Virtuoso XI
The Bovet Virtuoso XI puts the manufacture’s watchmaking prowess on full display from both sides, with a patented double-sided flying tourbillon visible on both the dial and caseback. Housed within the manufacture’s signature writing slope case, the movement is meticulously hand-engraved with the fleurisanne motif, inspired by the tree leaf pattern on ancient Greek columns. The use of negative space across half the dial provides the eye with visual respite from the flowery nature of the engravings, while the unique case with the crown positioned at 12 o’clock lends the Bovet Virtuoso XI a pocket watch aesthetic.
Price: $301,600CHF (approx. $529,360AUD)
Model: Virtuoso XI
Movement: manual winding
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Size: 44mm
4. F.P. Journe FFC Calibre 1300.3
‘Digi’tal. A nonconformist skeletonised watch, the F.P. Journe FFC Calibre 1300.3 sees the digital hours indicated by the animated fingers of a titanium hand, modelled after the prosthetic hand created by pioneering 16th century French surgeon Ambroise Paré. The hours use an instantaneous digital hours complication (somewhat akin to a jumping hour complication), while the minutes are displayed on the rotating dial. The titanium hand sits atop an openworked movement crafted from rose gold and titanium, encased in a platinum dial.
Price: $POA
Model: FFC Calibre 1300.3
Movement: automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Size: 42mm
5. Cartier Tank Cintrée
There’s really no such thing as a minimalist skeletonised watch, but the Cartier Tank Cintrée comes pretty close. The elongated tank shows off a hand-wound movement that has been curve to fit the shape of the case, with the barrel and balance oriented to follow the shape of the movement. Actual time telling is a bit of a struggle here, but the elegant aesthetic is unparalleled.
Price: $POA
Model: Tank Cintrée
Movement: manual winding
Water Resistance: 0ATM
Case Size: 46.3 mm x 23 mm
Related: Be There & Be Square; The Best Square & Rectangular Watches For Men
6. Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton
The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Skeleton takes a different approach to the skeleton watch. Rather than cutting off as much metal as possible to display the inner workings of the movement, the timepiece instead seeks to emphasise the organic motion of the movement, through latticework and hand-bevelled details that showcase the natural forms and concentric circles present in the calibre’s architecture. This interpretation results in a thoughtful take on the quintessential steel sports watch.
Skeletonisation generally consists of opening up the movement as much as possible to allow a clear view of its mechanism. For Parmigiani Fleurier, the approach is different: The artistic openwork of the Tonda PF Skeleton must reveal the organic life of the movement and its architecture while maintaining its balance and volume.
Price: $62,000CHF (apporx. $108,820)
Model: Tonda PF Skeleton
Movement: automatic
Water Resistance: 10ATM
Case Size: 40mm
7. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked
Peek under the hood of one of the most iconic watches of all time. Audemars Piguet can be credited with popularising the term ‘openworked’, with the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked seeing a slate grey movement make use of two balance wheels stacked on the same axis to promote stability; a complex feat given the amount of metal skeletonised movement shave off. Gold gears add tonal interest to the movement, while the slate grey minutes track features applied rose gold indices and matching rose gold hands.
Price: $POA
Model: Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked
Movement: automatic
Water Resistance: 5ATM
Case Size: 41mm
8. Chanel Boy.Friend Skeleton
Much like the Cartier Tank Cintrée above, the rectangular shape of the Chanel Boy.Friend Skeleton bestows it with an elegant feel. The emerald-cut corners of the case (inspired by the Art Deco bottle that houses the maison’s signature scent: Chanel No.5) lend it a softer, more feminine feel than your typical tank, while the hand-wound movement adheres to the line’s ethos of radical simplicity with a vertically oriented gear train housed within bridges that form a geometric motif.
Price: $70,900AUD
Model: Boy.Friend Skeleton
Movement: manual winding
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Size: 37mm x 28.6mm
9. Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Golden
Bell & Ross’ signature ‘round within a square’ dial gets the skeletonised treatment. The Bell & Ross BR 05 Skeleton Golden straddles the line between utilitarian and showy, with the chunky stainless steel case and integrated bracelet acting as a foil to the gold openworked dial.
Price: $10,700AUD
Model: BR 05 Skeleton Golden
Movement: automatic
Water Resistance: 10ATM
Case Size: 40mm
10. H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton
Marking the Swiss manufacture’s debut skeletonised timepiece, the H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton features an off-centre funky blue fumé dial adroitly conceal the heftier components of the movement while the visible elements take on a decidedly sculputal feel. The main plate and bridges receive an anthracite treatment that’s evocative of gothic architecture and allows them to frame and contrast the gold skeletonised oscillating weight. The bridges frame a flying tourbillon at 6 o’clock which adds a welcome dose of motion to the dial.
Price: $79,000CHF (approx. $138,700AUD)
Model: Pioneer Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton
Movement: automatic
Water Resistance: 12ATM
Case Size: 42.8mm
11. Corum Golden Bridge
Upon its release in 1980, the vertically oriented stacked movement of the Corum Golden Bridge was revolutionary. Fast forward over four decades and it’s no less visually striking. The sculptural timepiece sees the gear train stacked over the decorative engraved bridge (which also houses the hour and minute hands), resulting in a surplus of negative space on both sides of the transparent dial. The movement is housed within a rose gold tonneau case, which features the crown at 6 o’clock to contribute to the symmetrical effect.
Price: $43,100CHF (approx. $75,650AUD)
Model: Golden Bridge
Movement: manual winding
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Size: 34mm x 51mm
12. Patek Philippe Calatrava 5180/1R
Go gold or go home. Harkening back to the maison’s timepieces of yesteryear, the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5180/1R is decidedly unlike any of its current designs. The Patek Philippe Calatrava 5180/1R sees the ultra-thin self-winding calibre 240 skeletonised and completely decorated and engraved by hand. The movement sits within the inner ring of a sector dial, kept in place by architectural gold hour indices. Flip it over and you’ll find the gold micro-rotor engraved with the Patek Philippe seal.
Price: $POA
Model: Calatrava 5180/1R
Movement: automatic
Water Resistance: 3ATM
Case Size: 39mm
Related: Looking for a good dress watch? Check out our guide to the best dress watches for men here
History of the skeleton watch
The skeleton watch was invented by French clockmaker Andre-Charles Caron in 1760, with Caron going on to become the resident clockmaker to King Louis XV. During his royal tenure, Caron was training his son-in-law Jean-Antoine Lépine in his craft, with the duo releasing that the exposed construction of skeletonised watches appealed to the buttoned-up high society.
Over two centuries later, the advent of the quartz crisis resulted in Swiss manufactures focusing on showcasing their elite craftsmanship and virtuosity, with skeleton watches making for the ideal way to—quite literally—put this on display.
Enjoyed this article? Why not check out our Ultimate Guide To Watches here; covering everything from the types of watch movements to watch styles and complications.
Words by T. Angel
