Savoir Faire
What is a skeleton watch and how does it work?
March 24, 2026
A traditional skeleton watch in its is perhaps the ultimate expression of horological craftsmanship in watches and traces its history back to the 18th Century. The technique known as skeletonisation was introduced by the top artisans of the time in pocket watches for two reasons. The primary reason, as you can imagine, is to express and even flaunt their skills in movement hand-finishing, but also as a weight-saving measure. Fast-forward to the 21st Century and wristwatches, these cornerstones of movement design make a skeletonised watch of one of the most expressive and evocative choices for any collector.
A skeleton watch, or skeletonised watch, is defined by a simple yet very complex principle, omitting unnecessary metal from a watch’s movement. Likening it to automotive and aeronautical design, it is akin to minimal, cut-out suspension parts of an F1 car or the frame of a racing Ducati, even the skeleton of the wing of a 747. However, within a watch, the work is a time-consuming task of micro-engineering, ensuring that a gear wheel or balance bridge retains its strength for everyday stability. And unlike the larger scale of a racing car or fighter jet, the tolerances are minute, requiring a skillset learnt through many years of watchmaking.
Unlike most watches, a skeletonised watch is not defined by its functionality but by its expressive aesthetics. We could even argue that a skeleton – or skeletonised watch serves a grander purpose as a calling card for watchmaking in general. A skeleton watch emphasises traditional hand-finishing, even if today, many parts are precision CNC-machined but often hand-finished by a single artisan. skeletonisation is sometimes confused with open-worked dials or movements, where the inner workings of a watch is on display. Many brands combine the two, as with the Gerald Charles Maestro 8.0 Squelette series. However, the definition of the art of skeletonisation is much more complex than simply omitting a dial or replacing it with a sapphire disc, which exposes the gears and wheels that drive the hands. It combines traditional craftsmanship with precision laid bare for everyone to see. It is an art in itself. In fact, skeletonisation offers deep insight into the mechanism and functionality of the traditional parts of a mechanical watch, whether it be a simple three-hander or a chronograph.
Skeleton watches are not unique, but can be traced back to the 18th and 19th Century pocket watches. Unlike the artistic merits of today, it was seen as a way to improve wearability through weight-saving. Watchmakers did not have the precision engineering offered by high-tech materials we are spoiled with today, like titanium and carbon composites. But that doesn’t take away from the way any exposed movement or dial is a way to showcase the watchmaker’s skill. Today, many traditional watches on collector’s grail lists have a skeletonised, open-worked alternative, , spanning the auction hot Cartier* Crash* to tech-heavy sports watches like the ceramic case version of the 41mm AP* Royal Oak*. However, these are still recognisable shapes, some even over-copied, and the extravagant flow of the Gerald Charles Maestro case offers a different take with the 8.0 Squelette.
*Trademarks of third parties without any link to Gerald Charles SA
Maestro 8.0 Squelette Gem-Set
Using the Gerald Charles Maestro 8.0 Squelette as an example, the concept is abundantly clear. The precision movement is exposed – becoming the watch’s actual dial. Skeletonising a movement like the ultra-thin Swiss Manufacture 8.0 caliber calibre requires exceptional artistry and skill. A skeletonised watch movement can start with an existing ebauche of full calibre and a skilled craftsman. Or as in the case of the Swiss Manufacture 8.0 caliber, the movement has been designed as such from scratch. The characteristics mean that as much as possible of the three-quarter plates, half plates, and bridgework of the movement is cut out around the fixing points for the screws. Thus, saving weight and creating a creative flourish. If the work is based on an existing movement, master artisans will meticulously cut it out. chisel, engrave, and decorate each component using techniques like grainage and beveling. It can be visible partly or completely on the dial side or be saved for the owner alone through a clear case back.
As with most inclusions in a new or existing collection, there is usually a budget to consider. When it comes to mechanical skeleton watches, this will separate the main difference between a machine-skeletonised movement or a full – or semi-hand-finished one. With today’s rapid improvement in technology, a machine-skeletonized movement can display smooth, rounded edges due to the use of a milling cutter. Still, sharp, angled or straight edges indicate the work of a skilled watchmaker, detailing and hand-polishing corners after the initial machine work. And with its transparent look exposing any lack of precision, there are no shortcuts are hard to come by. Ironically, the top-tier watches with skeletonised movements like an Audemars Piguet* Royal Oak” or a Hublot* Big Bang* will, under a loupe, exhibit microscopic non-perfect details. However, for a collector, this only emphasises that many man-hours have been spent on the ancient craft. Uniformity and perfection in a watch are not always the goal but the intense and personal feeling of craftsmanship and style.
*Trademarks of third parties without any link to Gerald Charles SA
For a specific reason, most popular skeletonised watch designs come with manual-wind movements, like the Gerald Charles Squelette with a micro-rotor design. The reason might be obvious and is of course, based on the beauty of the open-worked movement deserving its scene, not partially hidden by a large oscillating rotor- Whichever you choose is a matter of taste, and which today’s manual calibres offering strong power reserves, winding your watch a couple of times, a week usually will suffice. But there is a special feeling of serenity given that your body motion can power a mechanical watch movement. The choice of a 22K gold rotor set in Gerald Charles’ own Squelette series is a great example fo how this purely functional component can be given a strong identity of its own, becoming a moving work of art inside the dark grey calibre offering a distinct contrast that is visible from both sides of the watch.
Within the expanding portfolio of Gerald Charles, the Maestro 8.0 Squelette is the skeleton version of the evolved original Gerald Genta watch design of the Maestro. For the Squelette, the brand’s engineers developed the automatic Ref. GCA 5482 calibre with a skeletonised, anthracite finish to its micro-architecture. The bespoke calibre has a solid 22k rose gold micro-rotor with a brushed, snailed pattern visible through the dial side. The GCA 5482 calibre was designed with the double-sided joy of a dial-less design, and the designer Octavio Garcia chose the theme of the celestial sky chart.
Within the in-house GCA 5482, Garci’s inspiration is clear through the architecture of the bridgework, with the cage holding the micro-rotor in place being shaped like a shooting star, with rays spreading playfully across the 22K shape. All bridgework in the Squelette watch series is finished in a dark grey anthracite NAC colour, offering a studied contrast to the steel or gold cases of the range’s references. I must admit to having a particular sweet spot for Skeletonised designs like the Maestro 8.0 Squelette. Through its duality of case back and dial art, it makes the most of the well-known craftsmanship of the Gerald Charles watchmakers and once again sets the brand apart.