We’ve all got the odd skeleton in the cupboard, but of the horological variety? You'd be so lucky. Skeleton watches are those mightily impressive ones with dials that are pared-back to the minimum in order to expose the intricacy of their mechanisms. The idea of laying a movement bare dates back to the 1760s when Parisian maker Andre Charles Caron produced a watch with no dial at all in the belief that his clients would prefer an uninterrupted view of its workings.
It turned out that they didn’t. But various peers of Caron saw a future in a less extreme version of the idea and began to cut bits out of their dials to give a glimpse of the wheels, bridges and gears that lay behind. The idea caught on, and skeleton watches have been with us ever since.
Since it was a Frenchman who came up with the idea of a skeleton watch, it seems right to kick-off with this piece from modern-day Frenchie Herbelin. The original Newport launched in 1983 to mark the Rhode Island city’s historic ties with the America’s Cup yacht race, but this is the first time it’s been available in a skeletonised version. Whether by luck or design, the cut-out dial seems oddly reminiscent of a ship’s wheel. Ooh arr, me hearties. Euros 1,799. At herbelin.com
As well as being an admirable example of skeletonisation, the Bel Canto is remarkable for being the most affordable chiming watch ever produced by a recognised brand. But you don’t have to take our word for it, because the Bel Canto scooped the ‘petite aiguille’ prize for watches in the Sfr2,000 – Sfr8,000 price range at November’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve. It makes Christopher Ward the first British dial name to win an award at the event the organisers call ‘the Oscars of watch making’. £3,195. At christopherward.com
This edition of 200 follows Zenith’s 2021 collab with Aussie watch influencer Andrew McUtchen’s ‘Time + Tide’ site and features a micro-blasted titanium case and a graded blue dial honed into a four-pointed star highlighted by lines of lume. The only skeleton on the market with a running tenths-of-a-second indicator (courtesy of its high-beat El Primero movement), it’s supplied with a quick-change bracelet and a blue rubber strap. Either is up to a spot of ‘night surfing’ – as is the watch itself, thanks to a screw-down crown and 100 metres of water resistance. At zenith-watches.com
The Piaget Polo was launched in 1979 as a shamelessly extravagant sports watch entirely made from 132 grams of yellow gold-case bracelet, dial and all. The first steel Polo didn’t arrive until 2016 in the form of the ‘S’ model, and it wasn’t until two years ago that Piaget stripped it bare with this fully skeletonised version. But it was worth waiting for, because it can be had with its exquisitely decorated mechanism finished in graphite or cobalt blue PVD. In either case, you get a fabulous view of all the important bits such as the balance wheel, mainspring barrel and escapement. And, although it’s automatic, a micro rotor ensures not too much gets covered up from behind, either. £29,200. At piaget.com
Roger Dubuis is among the kings of skeleton watchmaking, and its six-year partnership with Lamborghini has resulted in a series of watches that are every bit as loud and proud as the Italian maker’s famously rowdy cars. This 45mm carbon-cased effort pays tribute to the jacked-up, off-road ready ‘Sterrato’ version of the V10 Huracan and shows all 288 parts of its ‘engine’ to the max. Just 28 will be made (compared with 1,499 Sterratos). £59,500. At rogerdubuis.com
Cartier’s legendary Tank was inspired by the side profile of an actual tank – the new-fangled Renault version that first appeared on the Western Front during WWI. Louis Cartier’s original 1917 design has since been adapted multiple times, with the lozenge-shaped ‘Asymetrique’ of 1936 being among the most eye-catching. But in skeletonised form it becomes even more intriguing – look closely and you’ll see the ‘12’ and the ‘6’ double-up as the bridges that secure the diagonally-positioned, lateral movement. £75,000 (platinum). At cartier.com
If any watch brand knows about skeletonising, it’s Breguet. Way back in 1783, the man himself (Abraham-Louis Breguet, that is) accepted a commission to create the ultimate watch for Marie-Antoinette from a mystery admirer of the French queen. By the time it was finished 34 years later she had been beheaded – but it did look fabulous, with all 823 components being exposed behind a minimalist crystal dial. The modern-day 7047 skeletonised tourbillon is considerably simpler, but the laid-bare movement exposes lots of classic Breguet finishes to lose your head about. £182,100. At breguet.com
When watchmaking genii Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey got together in 1999, they were set on re-inventing the tourbillon mechanism by bringing it out of the 19th century and into the 21st – and when they launched their first watch in 2004, everyone agreed they had succeeded. The Double Tourbillon 30 Degrees was like nothing that had gone before, not least because of its eye-watering price. Greubel Forsey continues to amaze 20 years later by producing watches such as the 24 Seconds Architecture with fully-exposed, ultra-complex and stunningly finished movements. Just 66 will be made. £425,000 (approx). At greubelforsey.com
If you’re a true fan of skeletonised watches, owning a Richard Mille must be the ultimate goal. The maker has maxxed-out on its love of high-tech materials with this new version of the Tourbillon Aerodyne, giving it a case made from white quartz, carbon TPT and titanium while combining other exotic substances for the movement. As an example, the fully-openworked design gives a view onto a honeycomb-like section of the movement baseplate that’s made from an alloy called Haynes 214 – which you'd normally find inside a gas turbine. You might need oxygen when you see the price. £750,000 (approx.). At richardmille.com
