Skeleton Watches Explained: How They Work and Which to Buy

Most watches hide the best part. A skeleton watch does the opposite: it cuts away the dial, and often much of the movement, so you can watch the balance swing and the wheels turn while you read the time. Here's what the terms mean, what to expect from one, and the skeleton and open-heart watches we'd buy at every budget, from the Citizen NH9130-84A to the Raymond Weil Freelancer Calibre RW1212 Skeleton 2786-ST-60000.

What Is a Skeleton Watch?

A skeleton watch opens up the movement so you see the mechanism instead of a solid dial. On a full skeleton, the dial is cut away almost entirely and the movement itself becomes the face of the watch. The bridges and plates are pared back so light passes through, which is why a good skeleton looks as interesting from the side as from the front.

You'll also see two related terms. An open-heart watch keeps a normal dial but cuts a window in it, usually over the balance wheel, so you get a glimpse of the beating heart of the watch while the rest of the dial stays easy to read. A skeleton dial sits between the two: the dial is heavily cut away, but the movement behind it hasn't necessarily been reworked. All three are mechanical by nature, because the point is to show moving parts.

How Skeletonisation Is Done

Skeletonising means removing metal without weakening the movement. Plates and bridges are opened up and their edges finished, so what remains still holds every wheel in place. It's slow work, and the more of the movement is on show, the more finishing it needs, because every surface is now part of the design.

Raymond Weil approaches it from the movement out. The Calibre RW1212 is the brand's first in-house movement, and in the skeleton Freelancers the dial is opened completely onto it, with the balance wheel on show at 6 o'clock. The movement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour and holds a 41-hour power reserve, so it's a practical everyday automatic as well as a show-off.

Are Skeleton Watches Good?

A well-made skeleton is as good a watch as its movement, and the best are excellent everyday companions. There are two honest trade-offs. The first is legibility: with so much going on behind the hands, reading the time at a glance takes contrast. Look for hands that stand clear of the movement, ideally with luminous fill, and a chapter ring or tachymeter scale around the edge to frame the dial.

The second is care. A skeleton is still a mechanical watch, so it wants the same attention as any automatic: keep it away from strong magnetic fields, take it off for hard physical work, and have it serviced at the maker's recommended interval. Water resistance varies widely, from splash-resistant dress pieces to 100 metres, so check the figure on the product page before you swim in one.

Skeleton Watch Prices in Australia

You can buy an open-heart automatic for a few hundred dollars, and a Swiss skeleton with an in-house movement for several thousand. The difference is in how much of the movement is opened up, how it's finished and who made it.

Entry-level open-heart watches from Citizen and Bulova sit between roughly $380 and $450 at Watch Direct, and they're an easy way to see if you enjoy watching a movement at work. In the middle, full skeletons start at around $1,350. At the top of our range, Swiss skeletons from Baume & Mercier and Raymond Weil sit between $6,500 and $6,900, with the movement on show across the whole dial. For more automatic options at every price, see our automatic watches.

Our Picks Under $500: Open-Heart Automatics

An open heart is the easiest way in. For more choice, browse our Seiko automatic and open-heart watches, Bulova and automatic watches.

A Mid-Price Pick: Full Skeleton Under $1,500

If you want the full skeleton look without Swiss pricing, the Bulova Series X 98A342 is the step up. It's a skeleton watch for men who want colour, and its 41mm case gives the movement plenty of room to show.

Our Picks for a Swiss Skeleton

This is where the movement stops being a feature and becomes the whole design. Each of these opens the dial fully, and the three Freelancers all run Raymond Weil's own Calibre RW1212.

How to Care for a Skeleton Automatic

Treat it like any good mechanical watch, with a little more attention to the crystal and case back. Wear it often, or keep it on a winder, so the automatic movement stays wound. Make sure the crown is pushed fully home after setting the time. Keep it away from magnets, including speakers and phone cases with magnetic closures, and take it off for sport or manual work.

Clean the case with a soft cloth, rinse it in fresh water after any contact with salt water, and have the water resistance checked regularly. For more on how automatic and quartz movements differ, read our guide to mechanical versus quartz watches.

Frequently Asked Questions