The best skeleton watches will truly honor the unique complexities that go into producing a wristwatch. With their transparent design, skeleton watches allow the wearer a peek at the inner workings of their watch and convey a sense of sophisticated style.
At price points below $100 and north of $1,000, any one of the fine skeleton watches listed below will work into any man’s budget.
Here are a few watches that we think you’ll like:
1. Tissot T-Complication Squelette Analog Mechanical Watch
Luxury watches both look good and feel good, and the Tissot Squelette watch is no exception.
This watch has numerous features, or “complications”, that enhance this product and make it more functional.
The first and most prominent of this watch’s features is that it is a skeleton watch; the gears are showing through the face to give the watch another layer of beauty. Skeleton watches have been around for quite some time already, but manufacturers are getting more and more creative with how they display them.
This watch shows all of the watch parts full bare, allowing you to essentially ‘watch’ your watch as it ticks. This piece is also mechanical, so it does not rely on batteries to operate. Simply moving your wrist is enough to keep this model going throughout the day.
The downside to this is that if you do not wear your watch very often, the time can become desynced, requiring a rewind and a reset of the time.
On the plus side, you never have to worry about batteries, so that is a huge bonus.
This watch is of Swiss origin, and many watch aficionados know that the very best comes out of Switzerland. As a result, this watch is incredibly expensive, even on sale.
However, it is also of superior quality and is a quality investment to both collectors and non-collectors. The face is beautifully crafted, the case is shimmering stainless steel, and the leather wristband is made out of 100% genuine calf leather.
This leather ensures that your wrist band is soft and pliable right from the start, and with proper care will last for quite some time.
2. Maserati Potenza Men’s Watch
Some watches tend to focus more on form than function, resulting in visually appealing timepieces, but ultimately, they lack important features like readability.
The Maserati Potenza watch is one such example of this, with a beautiful skeletal face that showcases the very essence of the watch itself, and leaves out a couple of the five-minute markers for aesthetic.
It is not necessarily a bad thing; after all, an analog clock can be read very easily even without numbers or markings of any sort.
No one looks at a watch and says that it is exactly 2:38. They would say it’s about 20 minutes to three o’clock. Efficiency over exact measurement is what gives this watch a pass.
The overall color scheme of this watch is a very elegant contrast between gold, silver, and black. The leather wristband offers a lovely contrast between the two metallic colors, and the black face creates a nice canvas for the gold minute markers and hands.
The Maserati logo is perfectly carved to allow the best view for the gears partially hidden beneath.
This is an automatic, self-winding watch, which uses your movements to power its timekeeping mechanism. Be sure to wear it semi-frequently to keep it as accurate as possible.
3. Bell & Ross Aviation Watch
The Bell & Ross Aviation watch captures the essence of flight in a small accessory.
This mechanical watch is stylish and simple, but also has numerous features that make it an essential part of any man’s wardrobe.
For starters, the sleek case is brushed with polished stainless steel, making it less prone to showing scratches and scuffs. It also has a sapphire crystal cover that also resists scratches, which is great for people who have a tendency to work with their hands a lot.
The black leather strap is perforated to show off another layer of vivid red coloring that accents this piece so well. It is truly a timepiece that captures the essence of a man and puts it into a watch.
It features a dial for keeping track of the date as well as an internal stopwatch dial for even more precise timekeeping when you need it.
The hands and the numeral markers light up so that even in low light conditions this watch can still be read.
The only downside that may present an issue is the price tag, but even then, it is a solid purchase for the quality and the seal of authenticity. It’s a great watch, long-lasting, and solid manufacture that works as hard as you do.
4. Bulova Self-Winding Mechanical Watch
The Bulova Self-Winding watch is a statement of gentlemanly fashion. Featuring a 3-inch face and a warm brown color scheme, it is impossible to pass over this product as just another watch on the market.
It is a mechanical watch, so you never have to purchase batteries, nor do you have to worry about leaking battery acid. Instead, it relies on an internal mechanism that works to keep time based on the motions of the wrist or arm.
Mechanical watches on the whole have been quickly replaced by battery-powered quartz core watches, but today mechanical watches are coming back in droves as a symbol of wealth and status.
The Bulova watch is a perfect model to get into mechanical watches without needing to be of noble birth to get your hands on one.
The faceplate on this magnificent watch is as handsome as the rest of the watch, patterned to catch the light at just the right angle so that the watch sparkles. The gears can be seen around the hour and second hand holes, making this a visually stunning piece all-around.
The leather band is a little stiff at first but will become more flexible with constant wear. If you do not like brown and stainless steel, brown and gold are another popular choice that brings out the warm tones in the watch.
Perfect for business casual wear, but because it is not very water-resistant, try and keep this watch out of the rain.
5. Charles-Hubert Paris Men’s Premium Collection Watch
When looking for a watch, you want one that looks good and feels good to wear. The Charles-Hubert Premium mechanical watch pairs style with function, and demonstrates that analog watches do not have to be plain.
This watch features a gold-colored face that is positively striking against the stainless steel frame, and the multi-colored embellishments are subtle but stunning in the light.
The watch’s hands are blue, which pairs very well against the gold of the face. The skeleton face design is a sure conversation starter, and is a social status marker among the elite; wearing this will make you feel a part of the 1% without having to pay a fortune.
Other features of this watch include being very slightly water-resistant; it can handle splashes and even rain, but do not expect to go swimming with this watch on.
Overall, the design is spectacular and the engineering is of high quality. Obviously, not wearing this watch on a regular basis will cause it to become more inaccurate very quickly, but with constant attention and a shake of the wrist, you can expect this watch to keep on track for a good long time.
Additionally, the manufacturer has a 3-year limited warranty in case there is something wrong with your watch when you receive it.
6. Hamilton Ventura Analog Display Watch
Looking for something uniquely different, without going too crazy?
The Hamilton Ventura watch is a skeleton watch, but it is unlike other skeleton watches in that it is not busy with gears all over the face. The watch features stainless steel, triangular face-plate that has specially designed holes for viewing the internal mechanisms of the watch, except the gears are mostly hidden by one big gear.
It creates the illusion of the traditional skeleton watch design without being too aggressive. It’s a subtle way to accent your look without drawing a lot of attention.
The unusual triangular watch shape will do plenty to draw interested glances your way.
The brown leather strap is a classic addition to any watch, but on this model, the watchband accents the stainless steel and offers an interesting contrast between the two colors.
The fastening clasp on the wristband is certainly different, but it effectively secures the watch to your wrist. You can also partake in light swimming activities, but don’t expect to go diving with this watch as it is not designed to keep out water past 5 ATM of pressure.
Other than that, it is a perfectly good watch to wear casually, for business, or even for occasions where you need to dress up. A solid, timeless timepiece.