Skeletonized calibers are not something new. In fact, they are almost as old as watchmaking and have almost always been used to demonstrate the artisan skills of their creator because they required the double expertise of planning and execution, always by hand. The objective was – is – to leave the organs of the watch visible for the enjoyment of the fan, so that the absence of a dial and a transparent caseback are imposed, which in the highest priced watches is made of sapphire and in the rest of mineral glass. For better visibility, virtually all skeletonized machine watches are wound or hand-wound. That is, they lack the rotor or oscillating mass of the self-winding calibers.
Currently and due to its high cost, this work is only done by hand in the so-called Fine Watchmaking, while mid-priced brands or models do it mechanically. A middle ground would be where these mechanically modified calibers are finished by hand. What remains unchanged is the fascination they produce in the observer, and many brands have at least one in their collection, from Viceroy to Patek Philippe.
This year 2015 they are presented inBaselworldat least four models with this feature:
Armin Strom Skeleton Pure, a caliber with a double barrel that gives it eight days of power reserve. Faithful to its own tradition of elements, four limited series of one hundred pieces each will be manufactured: Fire (Fire) in rose gold, Water (Water) in stainless steel, Air (air) in titanium and Earth (Earth) in black PVD-coated steel. All will be accompanied by a “Hornback” alligator leather strap and a buckle made of its own material as well as a rubber strap. A peculiarity of this movement is that it is offset from the case itself. The announced price will be between 20,000 and 50,000 Swiss francs. Of course, the anchor and escape wheel are made of solid gold.
Something similar doesARTYAwith hisSon of Gears Shams. Shams, Sun in Arabic, is the name of the new ARTYA collection and is given by the shapes adopted by the interior architecture of the cast caliber. Three series of 99 pieces each, all of them in a steel case while the movement (Swiss Made) is made of steel, gold-colored steel and black steel, the latter two thanks to PVD. More modest, this brand offers its Shams at prices between 3,000 and 4,000 Swiss francs.
Claude MeylanIt is the only one that does not feature a round case. HisTortue de JouxBelonging to the LAC line, it is barrel-shaped (box-shaped, it is called) and is made of steel. It does not limit its two series (steel bridges and steel bridges with black PVD treatment) to a caliber that does not reveal itself (the reference 165 CM14 sounds more like a secret weapon than a watchmaker's caliber) but that is equally attractive. Both sapphire crystals with anti-reflective treatment. Alligator bracelet with square scales and steel buckle. Price also in the range of 3,000 -4,000 Swiss francs.
Aerowatch, which features the model with the longest name,Renaissance Orange Tornado, is also the most transparent: it explains that it uses a UNITAS caliber 6498. It also says that the angles have been finished by hand. The hands and indexes are painted orange and covered in SuperLuminova. Domed crystal in a 45mm case and sapphire back. Its strap is not crocodile but black leather with orange stitching (black PVD buckle) and its price is announced below 3,000 Swiss francs.
But. If you have a particularly hairy wrist, maybe you should consider another type of watch.
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