Skeleton Watches

Skeleton watches are stunning pieces of craftsmanship and give the wearer a clear view of the mechanism inside, revealing just how intricate a timepiece is.

Skeleton watches are great for people who like style but also have a sense of curiosity when it comes to engineering – both fashionable and functional.

If you want something oozing technology that looks incredible, let’s take a look at some stunning skeleton watches. 

Maurice Lacroix Chronograph

Around $5,000

The Chrono skeleton is part of Maurice Lacroix’s signature collection and rightly so. It’s perfection! It has the brand’s signature design as well as superb functionality. 

Overall it’s sleek and masculine. The design shows off the big 45mm stainless steel case and the diamond cut minute and hour hands. Inside is a power reserve of 48hrs and a 30 minute counter. 

Tag Heuer – Heuer 01 (Auto)

Around $5,000

This Tag Heuer Heuer-01 Auto is totally unique. It was born from a need for precision in sports like the Grand Prix. 

The skeleton dial shows off no less than a 39 stones in the movement. Its aesthetics are inherently sophisticated, playing on black and white with little flecks of silver and a daring red. It’s the physical embodiment of what goes on inside the imagination of a Swiss watchmaker. 

It has a stainless steel case that’s coated in durable titanium which with a very fine brushed finish. The same materials are found in the bezel, which shows off an engraved tachymetric scale in grey.

Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic

Around $1,000

This skeletonised watch comes from Hamilton and shows off the brand’s incredible skills and painstaking accuracy. 

The finer details are on show; the hairspring and barrel and escapement, for example and you can see it all moving. 

Hamilton never forgets about design and so this 40mm stainless steel case – which is water resistant to 50m – also has a transparent back. It’s contemporary so it suits someone who’s modern, sleek and sophisticated. 

 Read more about Hamilton watches here.

Cartier Santos-Dumont

Ranges from $5,000 to over $75,000

Cartier stands for ultimate luxury and design – and the Santos-Dumont skeleton keeps to this rule. If you’ve got a spare $75k sitting around and you need something to do with it, this timepiece is about as luxury as you can ever get. It’s simply magnificent.

It’s almost over-indulgent. But it’s Cartier, so it never could be. It’s square, and boasts an 18 karat white gold face with blue steel hands shaped like swords. The numerals are Roman and it all sits on top of a supple, black alligator leather strap. 

If you’re interested in Cartier watches, read our review here.

Tissot T-Complication Squelette

Around $1,500  

The Tissot T-Complication Squelette does the same job as the Cartier but at a more affordable price. It marries detailed development and modern design.

The wearer simply need to look at their wrist to appreciate the meticulous detail of the mechanical hand-wound movement. There’s an incredible intricacy and it all looks stunning.

It has a Swiss-made stainless steel case of 43mm. The strap is genuine black leather. It has the highest calibre of finish possible and everything is finished sharply.  It would set off a tux perfectly.

Zenith El Primero: Lightweight

From $6,000 – $12,000

This Zenith is a perfect choice for men who don’t want a chunky classic timepiece. it weighs in at just under 16g, hardly anything at all. It’s the lightest chrono you’ll find.

Surprisingly, the case is quite big at 45mm, but the light weight comes from its ceramic, aluminium and carbon construction. It’s both stylish and incredibly hard-wearing. The wristband is black rubber. 

Inside it has just under 330 components and 31 stones. There are different colours too, so you can choose which suits you the most.

“Openwork mechanical” by Vacheron Constantin

Around $70,000

This skeleton watch is probably the most intricate on our list. All the inner mechanics are visible and it’s a work of art.

It’s complex mechanics feature nearly 130 components and 21 jewels, though it’s less modern than the others on this list. It has classic charm with Roman numerals and is hand-wound. Impressively, it has 65 hours of power reserve.

The case is 40mm and made with 18 karat gold. The dial matches. 

If you weren’t familiar with this type of watch and it’s got you wondering how many kinds there are, take a look at our article explaining types of watches.

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