6 of the best budget skeleton watches showing off without being too pricey

Tom Austin

A major part of Richard Mille’s and Audemars Piguet’s offerings, the skeleton dial is one of the most coveted construction techniques in watchmaking today. With its roots even as far back as the 1700s, watch enthusiasts have been obsessed with being able to view their technically beautiful movements through openworked dials, leading to some of the most precious pieces in horology being produced. Since then, brands have followed the trend and many now have a skeleton line in their collections. Thankfully, some have also chosen to go the more affordable route, bringing skeletonised dials to the masses.

Swatch Black Skeleton

Swatch has had a pretty amazing couple of years, with its focus being on the MoonSwatch and its latest offering, the Swatch x Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. One thing these releases have done, is shone a whopping great spotlight on the rest of their offerings, which can always do with more attention from the media. The Swatch Black Skeleton stands out in the brand’s range for its bags of style and value, and thanks to its Swatch quartz movement, is just 6.7mm thick. The movement isn’t the most attractive thing ever created, but it does fit in with Swatch’s simplistic design ethos, harking back to what Swatch has been excelling in since the ’80s. Finishing the watch is a simple black leather strap which tapers out towards the case, once again in typical Swatch style. For those on a serious budget, the Swatch Black Skeleton makes for an excellent everyday wear. Price: US$195.

Hamilton Jazzmaster Skeleton Auto

Hamilton is well-acquainted with skeletonised dials, with several lines in their catalogue featuring them. The Jazzmaster Skeleton Auto is a contemporary dress watch, sized in either 40mm or 36mm and is available in stainless steel with black, white, purple or blue dials. The case is conventionally designed with subtle polishing and brushed areas, and a perfectly thin bezel to frame the all-important dial. One of the biggest critiques of skeleton watches is that legibility is an issue, however, Hamilton has managed to create a balanced and carefully thought-out dial that remains clear and classy. The movement you can see working away is the H-10-S Calibre, a time-only, ETA-based movement, with côtes de Genève finishing in the visible areas for that final touch. It’s not all just for looks though, there’s an impressive 80-hour power reserve, making this version of the Hamilton Jazzmaster Skeleton a versatile watch you can wear with confidence. Price: starting from US$1,430 from the T+T Shop

Rado DiaStar Original Skeleton

The Rado DiaStar, introduced in 1962, was the result of five decades of watchmaking expertise and was presented as the world’s first scratch-proof watch. Its futuristic design, produced in ultra hard-wearing metal, became a hit and created a critical foundation in Rado’s design language for decades to come. Today, the DiaStar is still in production, albeit with an even harder-wearing and more distinctive outer bezel, made from Rado’s proprietary ceramic-based material called Ceramos. The 38mm watch features a stainless steel case, almost lugless in appearance, matched to a stainless steel bracelet. The movement is fully visible through the anthracite skeletonised dial, with floating gold-coloured indices to match the hands. The movement is the ETA C07-based R808 automatic, boasting a huge 80 hours of power reserve and an airy appearance. Price: US$2,050

Tissot T-Complication Squelette Mechanical

Skeleton-dialled watches tend to be the opposite of subtle, and there’s nothing less subtle than a 43mm, openworked watch. If you like your watches to be attention grabbers, then the Tissot T-Complication Squelette is certainly one to consider. First of all, the mechanical winding movement has been built in a way to allow you to see straight through the watch, right down to the caseback. The dial furniture is mounted around a chapter ring to help keep things surprisingly legible with large alpha hands tipped with lume. Slightly less obvious is the small seconds hand at 3 o’clock. This striped-back conversation starter sits in a 43mm stainless steel case with a fully brushed finish, perhaps an attempt to tone down the overall look. Price: US$2,140 from the T+T Shop

Oris Artelier Skeleton

A part of the old guard now, the Oris Artelier Skeleton was released in 2016 but still deserves a spot on this list as a classy and functional skeletonised watch. The 40mm Artelier stainless steel case is elegant and well-proportioned. The dial is a bold, thick rim around the openworked centre section, but look closer and you’ll see the silver guilloché finishing too, just subtle enough to miss if you don’t look hard enough. It’s even available with diamonds for the bolder customer. Silver hands match the applied silver indices, finished off with an applied Oris logo at 6 o’clock. The Sellita-based Oris 734 movement is strikingly visible in the centre, adequately finished, and gives the wearer an awesome view of the beating heart of the watch. It’s a simple three-handed affair with 38 hours of power reserve. Price: US$2,600

Raymond Weil Freelancer RW1212 Skeleton

Skeletonised watches are often a question of taste, but some brands do it well, naturally producing unique, appealing designs, while others can go down a less creative route, simply punching out a bunch of holes and gaps in a dial and calling it skeletonised. That isn’t the case with the Raymond Weil Freelancer, however. Their part-steel-part-bronze RW1212 Skeleton model has been tastefully designed, with care taken to be functional in its structure, but it also looks considerably more expensive and intricate than it is. The RW1212 movement is manufactured by Sellita, offering a 41-hour power reserve and an unusual bridge across the balance wheel. The 42mm case is brushed throughout, giving the watch a less flashy appeal, and drawing more attention to the skeletonised movement. Price: US$3,495