Watch enthusiasts often confuse the terms openworked and skeletonized when describing movements that reveal a watch's inner workings. According to the Fondation Haute Horlogerie, skeletonized movements involve cutting away plates and bridges to expose wheels, while openworked can refer to dials that partially or fully reveal the mechanism. Brands like Audemars Piguet use openworked for their skeletonized creations, adding to the terminology mix-up.
The article from Fratello Watches delves into the nuances of watch terminology, highlighting how Audemars Piguet applies the term “Openworked” to its skeletonized movements, such as the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin Openworked ref. 16204XT.OO.1240XT.01 featuring the 2.7mm-thick caliber 7124. Another example is the Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Openworked ref. 26685XT.OO.1320XT.01, made in titanium and Bulk Metallic Glass with caliber 7139, which displays perpetual calendar indications on sub-dials at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock framed in pink gold. The author prefers the latter as a favorite skeletonized piece from the brand. Audemars Piguet began exploring open movements in the 1930s and revived the technique in the 1970s, creating a dedicated atelier for skeletonized versions of caliber 2120, each taking about 150 hours to produce. Skeletonization, as defined by the Fondation Haute Horlogerie, removes redundant material from the movement to showcase functional parts. Not all openworked watches are skeletonized; the term can describe dials with cut-outs or no dial at all, like the TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph for the Las Vegas Grand Prix 2026, which has an openworked dial in black DLC-coated titanium with a violet-to-blue gradient. Breguet’s Tradition Fusée Tourbillon 7047 displays chain and fusée components under a sapphire crystal, while the Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Squelette 5395 achieves slimness and transparency with a peripheral rotor. Traditional skeletonization involves handmade removal of material using tools like files and saws, as seen in Armin Strom’s hand-skeletonized Omega Speedmaster Professional 3097.30 for the Moon landing’s 25th anniversary. Modern approaches use CNC machines for precise, architectural designs, evident in Roger Dubuis’s Excalibur Monotourbillon Titanium priced at CHF 147,500, featuring geometric shapes. More accessible options include Chopard’s Alpine Eagle 41 XP TT at CHF 22,500 and Rado’s Anatom Automatic Skeleton at €4,500, which reveals the caliber R808’s components. Norqain’s Wild One Skeleton 42mm Purple costs €5,550. The piece concludes that skeletonized watches serve as ambassadors for mechanical watchmaking, emphasizing their role in showcasing intricate mechanics without prioritizing readability.