Beyond aesthetics, the technical allure of skeletonised and openworked watches for collectors

The horological feat of paring back a movement is more science than art—even as the final result is undeniably, unabashedly, a visual drama. Here are our favourite skeletonised and openworked novelties from Geneva Watch Week 2025. 

Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date Ref 6159G-001

Exactly a century ago, Patek Philippe broke ground when it released the first ever perpetual calendar in a wristwatch—a mechanism that could track the dates, months and leap years. Since then, it has continuously perfected this complication, releasing it in various avatars. One of the most popular iterations comes with a retrograde date indicator, which reads the date on an arc across the dial. 

Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date Ref 6159G-001 in white gold. Top: Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monobalancier in cobalt, and the unique piece Excalibur Monobalancier in white gold with tanzanites and topaz (right).

Keeping things exciting, the Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date Ref 6159G-001 highlights a smoked sapphire dial—a rarity within Patek Philippe’s portfolio—that showcases the movement beneath. As if playing peek-a-boo, the dates, days and moonphase are partially obscured, making for a mesmering effect.

The white-gold bezel comes with a Clous de Paris design, adding to the quirkiness—not a word we’d typically associate with the watchmaker. Measuring just 39mm, the self-winding watch comes with a black composite strap and a 45-hour power reserve.

Vacheron Constantin Complete Calendar Openface

The oldest watch maison in continuous operation, Vacheron Constantin commemorates its 270th anniversary this year. And as you can imagine, celebrations are in full swing with a plethora of timepieces that showcase the depth and breadth of its knowhow. 

Vacheron Constantin Complete Calendar Openface in platinum.

One of the highlights is a trio of Traditionelle timepieces, namely the Perpetual Calendar Retrograde Date Openface; the Tourbillon Retrograde Date Openface; and the Complete Calendar Openface. Wrought in platinum, the three versions are each limited to 370 pieces, and boast an ultra-slim movement and an openworked dial to show off their complexity. Each hand-finished dial features a geometric, Maltese-cross inspired, hand-guilloched pattern. 

The Traditionnelle Complete Calendar openface version features a more prominent openworked dial, revealing the underlying movement.This watch offers a complete calendar, indicating the day, date, and month. It’s a more classic complication, presented with a contemporary, high-contrast twist thanks to the transparent display architecture.

Franck Muller Cintrée Curvex Flowers

Building a watch movement is a complex endeavour—every gear, every pinion, every lever is necessary to ensure that the watch performs with precision and accuracy. To alter the very composition of this architecture and pare it back to the bare minimum is not merely a stylistic choice, but one that requires utmost level of skill and surgical precision.

Franck Muller Cintrée Curvex Flowers in white gold set with diamonds and emeralds.

Now, imagine adding gem-setting to this already exacting craft. That’s precisely the challenge that Franck Muller has embraced with the Cintrée Curvex Flowers. The watchmaker has embedded gem-set flowers within the very architecture of the skeletonised movement, resulting in a whimsical mechanical garden. Amidst the gears, bridges and springs, the movement features emerald petals in the Franck Muller Curvex Cut Diamond technique, so they emulate the undulating curvaceousness of the flower.

MB&F 20th anniversary LM Perpetual Longhorn

In the pecking order of complex complications, the perpetual calendar is probably one of the hardest to master. It’s also easily damageable, as the mechanism is vulnerable to shock and misuse. It’s no surprise then that over the years, countless watchmakers have sought to solve these issues. 

MB&F 20th anniversary LM Perpetual Longhorn in stainless steel.

MB&F, along with watchmaker Stephen McDonnell, seem to have found a handy solution with LM Perpetual. We won’t go into the technical details here, but to sum it up: the mechanical processor removes the components that typically cause a perpetual calendar to jam, making the process of changing the date seamless and less tricky to manoeuvre. This being the Legacy Machine, the architecture is a sight to behold, with a three-dimensional dial that reveals the inner workings of the movement. This version is the LM Perpetual Longhorn, which celebrates the brand’s 20th anniversary, and is exclusive to—you guessed it—20 pieces.

Hublot Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Minute Repeater 20th Anniversary Frosted Carbon

The Hublot Big Bang celebrates its big 2-0 this year, and true to form, the watchmaker has released a quintet of unabashedly audacious watches to commemorate its (short-ish) legacy of pushing the boundaries of materials and mechanics. 

One of the highlights is the ultra-complicated Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Minute Repeater 20th Anniversary Frosted Carbon, which, as its mouthful of a name suggests, features the double whammy of a tourbillon and a minute repeater, plus, to keep things exciting, a mono-pusher chronograph. 

Hublot Big Bang Integrated Tourbillon Cathedral Minute Repeater 20th Anniversary in frosted carbon.

The word “cathedral” indicates that the tune of the minute repeater is richer and deeper, thanks to its gongs, which are twice the length of traditional ones. The carbon-fibre case ensures that the sound reverberates clearly. Moreover, the watchmaker has retained the openworked dial that has become a familiar sight within the Big Bang collection. Sure, that makes it a little harder to read the time, but then… who’s keeping track on a million-dollar watch?

Roger Dubuis Excalibur Monobalancier, and the unique piece Excalibur Monobalancier

To say that Roger Dubuis revolutionised the way skeletonised watches are constructed would be no exaggeration. Before him, watchmakers typically hollowed out existing movements. Dubuis, however, set out to build skeletonised movements from the ground up: an intentional process in which every detail was meticulously considered. This approach allowed him to reimagine the very architecture of a movement, introducing bold elements such as astral-shaped bridges and flying tourbillons. These details were refined through a process of trial and error, with each creation pushing horological boundaries and bringing the art of skeletonisation to new heights.

A prime example of this mastery is the Monobalancier (top), which pairs a mini rotor with a skeletonised tourbillon. The vivid blue movement stands out against a cobalt case and bracelet for a striking visual impact. Then, there is the pièce unique, crafted in white gold, and adorned with a mesmerising gradient of baguette-cut topaz and tanzanites. 

Setting rectangular stones on a circular bezel is an exacting process, adding yet another layer of complexity to an already exceptional timepiece.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater

Jaeger-LeCoultre made history in 1994 when it launched the first ever rectangular movement for a minute repeater—also a first for its iconic Reverso collection. For 2025, the storied watchmaker has launched an improved minute repeater movement, the newly developed calibre 953, which boasts seven patented inventions. Every element of the movement has been designed to enhance and amplify the sound of the repeater, from the elongated bridge to the crystal gongs.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater in pink gold.

The movement can be seen in all its glory on the verso side where the mechanism is laid bare. Here, we can also appreciate the detailing and finishing mastered by the artisans, where every bevel, every millimetre, is polished to perfection. The front, with its elegant barley-seed, hand-guilloched dial in blue enamel, belies the complexity of the construction—adding to the intriguing beauty of the timepiece.  

Go further with the 2025 edition of Watches and Wonders in Geneva.

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