The Best Skeleton and Openworked Watches

"On the average wrist- or pocket watch, this can only be achieved by removing the timepiece's caseback, which allows dust and other contaminants to enter and should only be done by a qualified professional during service. However, there exists a certain type of watch that's designed to allow one to peek into the movement - and not just when it's being serviced."

"The "skeleton"/"skeletonized" watch (also referred to as "openworked") is one in which much of the movement componentry - mostly the bridges that hold the smaller parts in place - have been reduced via sawing or electrical discharge machining to their bare minimum. When combined with a transparent dial (and perhaps a transparent caseback), this allows the viewer to look between and even through the movement - hence the "skeleton" moniker."

Viewing a mechanical watch movement normally requires removing the caseback, which risks dust contamination and should be performed only by a qualified professional. Skeleton or skeletonized (openworked) watches achieve visibility by reducing much of the movement componentry—mainly bridges—via sawing or electrical discharge machining. Transparent dials and sometimes transparent casebacks permit looking between or through the movement, giving the style its name. Movements may be skeletonized after production or designed from the ground up, and non-skeletonized but fully visible movements are often lumped into the same category. The practice dates to the mid-18th century, with André Charles Caron and Abraham-Louis Breguet notable historical examples, including Breguet's commission No. 160 for Marie Antoinette, displayed with a rock crystal dial revealing a sophisticated hand-made movement.

Read at InsideHook