Skeleton watches are admired for their thinness and unique design that enables you to take a peek at the inner workings of the timepiece.
From the largest parts to the tiniest axles, see-through watches let you in into the secret of what makes time tick.
Many think skeleton watches are fragile accessories that will easily break when dropped or given even the slightest bump.
The good thing is that there’s no shred of truth in this misconception.
A skeleton watch is as sturdy as any other watch and the only difference is that it doesn’t have a dial that covers the intricate machinery behind the watch hands.
As a matter of fact, having a watch with visible gears will even allow you to see which part is malfunctioning when your watch stops working.
There are a lot of automatic and mechanical skeleton watches in the market.
Some are luxury timepieces which cost thousands of dollars while some are affordable ones you can buy for a few hundred bucks.
We took the effort to round them all up and create a list of the best skeleton watches you can get your hands on.
Here are the best skeleton watches you can find in the market.
Fossil Mens Townsman ME3041
The 44mm Townsman has a stainless steel case, a mineral crystal, a leather calfskin strap, Roman numeral hour markers, luminous markers, and a manual-wound movement.
All the watch mechanisms look like they’re floating, thanks to the transparent case back and dial.
It’s one of the most stylish see-through watches available out there.
Pros:
- Leather strap feels comfortable to wear
- Power reserve of up to 40 hours
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- Watch makes a loud ticking sound
- Watch gains/loses a few minutes every week
- Luminous markers but hands are not luminescent
Invicta Men’s 1088 Russian Diver
The 51.5mm Russian Diver has a polyurethane strap, a synthetic sapphire crystal, a sophisticated see-through watch dial design, a uniquely designed crown cap, luminous hands, an exhibition case back, and a mechanical movement.
Pros:
- Dial design looks terrific and makes the watch look expensive
- Large size makes it easy to read time
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- Strap is flimsy and can’t hold the weight of the watch
- Watch is heavy to wear
- Crown is annoyingly oversized
Invicta Sea Spider Skeleton Mechanical Watch
The 50mm Sea Spider features a stainless steel case with gunmetal ion-plated finish, a skeleton dial, a synthetic sapphire crystal, a polyurethane band luminescent hands, a seconds subdial, and a 17-jewel mechanical movement.
Pros:
- Affordable see-through watch
- Good lume brightness
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- No date window
- Hands are too small for the watch size
- Quite heavy to wear
Stuhrling Original Men’s ‘Symphony’ Automatic
The 44mm Symphony features a stainless steel case, a Krysterna crystal, a leather calfskin strap, a seconds subdial, and an automatic movement.
Pros:
- Lightweight and easy to wear
- Stylish with good craftsmanship
- Easy to read the time because of the contrasting colors between the dial and the hands
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- Watch stops if not worn for more than 8 hours
- Needs manual winding
- No date window
- No lume
Stuhrling Original Men’s Black Skeleton Dial
The 44mm Black Skeleton Dial features a stainless steel case, a Krysterna crystal, a calfskin leather strap, a GMT subdial for dual-time function, an exhibition case back, a sun/moon subdial, and an automatic self-winding movement.
Pros:
- Stylish and easy to pair with any kind of fashion
- Dual-time feature is useful for travelers
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- Gains time every day
- No date function
- No lume
- Hands are too small, making it hard to read the time
Stuhrling Original 371.01 Men’s Legacy
The 46mm Men’s Legacy has a Krysterna crystal, a stainless steel case and bezel, a calfskin leather strap, an AM/PM subdial, a dual time subdial, an onion crown, and a self-winding automatic movement.
Pros:
- Elegant and eye-catching design
- Contrasting colors make it easy to read the time
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- Watch face looks too busy
- Loses time by more than 5 minutes per week
- Dual time function is inaccurate and hard to set up
- Low-quality strap
Bulova Men’s 96A135 BVA Series
The 41mm BVA Series has a stainless steel case, a mineral crystal, a calfskin leather strap, an exhibition case back, a 24-hour subdial, luminescent hands and markers, Roman numerals as hour markers, and a 21-jewel movement.
Pros:
- Accurate timekeeping
- Clean and sleek design
- Water resistant up to 30m
Cons:
- Weak power reserve
- Crystal may get easily scratched
- Hard to read the time
Michael Kors Men’s Jet Master MK9011
The 45mm Jet Master features a stainless steel case and band, a corrugated bezel, a mineral crystal, subdials for the day, month, and day, a 24-hour subdial, luminescent hands and markers, and a Japanese automatic movement.
This is one of the most affordable skeleton watches on our list.
Pros:
- Good lume brightness
- Classy and sporty overall look
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- Watch looks too busy for its size
- Subdials are hard to read
- Manual winding needed
Thomas Earnshaw Men’s Bauer Mechanical Skeleton Watch
The 42mm Bauer Mechanical is a see-through watch with an exhibition case back, a hardened mineral crystal, a stainless steel case and bezel, a genuine leather strap, and a mechanical movement.
Pros:
- Available in different dial and strap colors
- Strap is comfortable to wear and perfectly matches watch design
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- Manual winding needed
- No date window
- No lume
- Watch looks too busy and hand are too thin to see the time
Reef Tiger Luminous Tourbillon
The 44mm Tourbillon features a 3D dial art, a stainless steel case, a month-year window, a sapphire crystal, a calfskin leather strap, luminous hands and markers, day and date subdials, and a Seagull ST2503 self-winding automatic movement.
Pros:
- Available in different bezel and strap color variants
- Keeps time well
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- Color of dial makes it hard to read the time correctly
- Adjustment of windows and subdials can be tricky
- Crowned glass distorts the dial view
Rotary Les Originales Men’s GS90505/06 Skeleton Watch
The 39mm Les Originales GS90505 has a stainless steel case with a rose gold finish, a synthetic sapphire crystal, a crocodile leather strap, and a Swiss automatic movement.
Pros:
- Stylish and looks expensive
- Swiss movement is accurate
- Easy to read time because of the contrasting colors of the hands and the dial
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- No lume
- No date function
- Band is not that durable and cracks easily
Agelocer Skeleton Diver Watch
The 41.5mm Skeleton Diver Watch has a polished stainless steel case, a sapphire crystal, luminous markers and hands, a genuine calfskin leather strap, and a caliber A4910 automatic self-winding movement.
Pros:
- Good lume brightness
- Keeps time accurately
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- Low-quality strap
- No date window
- Lume doesn’t last long
Hamilton Men’s Jazzmaster Viewmatic Open Heart
The 43mm Open Heart is an elegant-looking watch with visible gears and features a stainless steel case, a leather strap, a sapphire crystal, and an automatic movement.
Pros:
- Excellent craftsmanship and classy design
- Accurate timekeeping
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- Low-quality strap
- Power reserve isn’t that great
- No date window
Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic Skeleton
The 43mm has a stainless steel case, a genuine leather strap, a sapphire crystal, luminous hands and markers, an automatic H-20 movement.
Pros:
- Great-looking dress watch
- Precise timekeeping mechanism
- Leather strap is comfortable to wear
Cons:
- No date window
- Water resistant up to 50m only
- Leather strap is not suitable for underwater submersion for a long time
Tissot T-Complication Squelette
The 48mm Squelette has a stainless steel case and bezel, a leather calfskin strap, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, luminescent hands and markers, and a mechanical hand-wind movement.
It has a seconds hand subdial located at the 9 o’clock position.
Pros:
- Classic but modern design is suitable for any kind of fashion
- Good hand movements and timekeeping mechanism
- Great lume brightness
- Colored hands make it easier to read time
Cons:
- Expensive for a watch that’s not self-winding
- No date window
- Water resistant up to 50m only
Tag Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 01
The 45mm Calibre Heuer 01 has a stainless steel case available in alternate finishing, a tachymeter bezel, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, a fluted crown, 3 subdials, a date window, luminescent hands and markers, and a Swiss automatic movement.
It’s available in different bezel and hand colors and strap variants.
Pros:
- Hands and markers are visible since they’re colored differently from the dial
- Perforated rubber strap adds to the watch’s sporty vibe
- 39-jewel movement ensures accurate timekeeping
- Power reserve of up to 50 hours
- Water resistant up to 100m
Cons:
- Date window can be hard to read
- Readings on the subdial are hard to see
- Strap cannot be replaced
Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Chronograph
The 45mm Masterpiece Chronograph has a stainless steel case, an alligator leather strap, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, a date subdial, a 60-second chronograph subdial, luminescent hands, and a self-winding Valjoux 7750 automatic movement. Case finish is available in stainless steel, steel with PVD coating, and gold bezel variants.
Pros:
- Dial and case finish available in different colors
- Power reserve of up to 48 hours
- Water resistant up to 100m
Cons:
- Dial face design can make it hard to quickly read the time
- Subdial readings are hard to identify
- Leather strap may not suitable for underwater use
Hublot Classic Fusion Aerofusion Skeleton 515.OX.0180.LR
The 45mm Classic Fusion has a ceramic case, an alligator leather strap, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, day and month windows, a date subdial, a moonphase function, and a Hublot Calibre HUB1131 movement.
Pros:
- Moonphase subdial looks incredible
- Silver-toned hands and markers make it easy to read the time
- Power reserve of up to 42 hours
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- Strap can be uncomfortable to wear
- Day and month windows are a bit small
- Watch looks fragile
Breguet Tradition Black Skeleton Dial
The 37mm Breguet Tradition has a sapphire crystal, a case and bezel made of 18k white gold, Roman numeral hour markers, a leather strap, a power reserve indicator, and a manual wind movement.
Pros:
- Power reserve of up to 50 hours
- Keeps time well
- Water resistant up to 30m
Cons:
- Manual winding is needed
- Hard to read the time
- Basic features for its price
Hublot Classic Fusion Ultra-Thin Skeleton 515.OX.0180.LR
The 45mm Ultra-Thin Skeleton is a chronograph watch with skeleton dial and a case, band, and bezel made of polished titanium.
It also has a sapphire crystal, an alligator leather strap, and a HUB 1300 manual-winding movement.
Pros:
- Thin and lightweight
- Power reserve of up to 90 hours
- Water resistant up to 50m
Cons:
- No date window
- Limited pieces available
- No lume on hands and markers
Zenith El Primero Lightweight
The 45mm El Primero weighs only 16 grams even though it has over 328 parts in it.
It’s made up of a mix of carbon, ceramic, and aluminum, has a chronograph dial, 3 subdials, an exhibit case back, luminescent hands and markers, and an in-house El Primero movement.
Pros:
- Available in different colors
- Accurate hand movements
- Sporty design
- Water resistant up to 100m
Cons:
- Hard to read subdials
- No date window
- Limited pieces for sale
Audemars Piguet Millenary 4101
The 47mm Millenary 4101 has a unique oval shape with an 18K rose gold finish.
It features a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, an exhibition case back, a crocodile leather band, and an automatic self-winding movement.
Pros:
- Unique, eye-catching design
- Suitable for formal wear
- Power reserve of up to 60 hours
Cons:
- Expensive for its features
- No date window
- Water resistant up to 20m only
Cartier Santos-Dumont Skeleton Watch
The Santos-Dumont collection features square-shaped watches available in medium (39mm) and large (42mm) sizes.
It has a titanium case and bezel with 18K white gold features, an alligator skin strap, a watch face with Roman numerals as hour markers, a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, and a hand-wound Cartier Caliber 9612 MC movement
Pros:
- Extremely thin and lightweight
- ADLC treatment applied to the body to make it impervious to scratches
- Power reserve of up to 72 hours
Cons:
- Water resistant up to 30m only
- Extremely expensive
- No lume
Piaget Altiplano White Gold Ultra-Thin Skeleton
The 38mm Altiplano is one of the best skeleton watches for its thickness which stands at 5.34mm only.
It has a sapphire crystal, an 18k white gold finish, an alligator strap, and a Caliber 1200S self-winding automatic movement.
Pros:
- Also available in 43mm size
- Features one of the most elegant designs for a see-through watch
- Water resistant up to 30m
Cons:
- No date window
- No lume
- Hand color camouflages with the silver-colored skeleton dial
Vacheron Constantin Métiers d’Art Mécaniques Ajourées
The 40mm Métiers is one of the most intricately designed watches with visible gears.
It has an alligator strap, sapphire crystals, Roman numeral hour markers, an 18k white gold finish, and a caliber 4400SQ movement.
Pros:
- Contrasting color of hands and dial makes it easier to read time
- Power reserve of up to 65 hours
- Water resistant up to 30m
Cons:
- No date window
- No lume
- Manual winding function
Conclusion
Skeleton watches are eye-catching accessories that will surely impress anyone who sees them.
They’re products embodying the evolution and innovation in watchmaking technology, making them a must-have for every watch-collector out there.
There are luxury and budget skeleton watches available in the market.
In choosing a see-through watch, consider the functionality and features it offers aside from its price tag and quality.
We’ve collected the best skeleton watches and we’re sure you’ll have your favorite pick among them.
Buy one now and be fascinated at how hundreds of tiny parts move in unison to simply tell the time.
