WATCH YOUR TIME |
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TECH
The Art of Skeletonisation
The beauty intrinsic to mechanical watchmak-
ing has always inspired its creators to highlight the
aesthetic appeal. This was, however, never limited
merely to revealing movements through sapphire
casebacks, as is typical in contemporary watchmak-
ing. Early watchmakers believed that decorating a
movement should not be confined solely to adorn-
ing its components through various engraving and
polishing techniques but should also involve directly
sculpting the material itself. In other words, the goal
was to emphasise the movement’s construction by
providing not only an unobstructed view of the cal-
ibre but also by refining the components themselves,
aiming for lightness and purity of form. Thus, skel-
etonisation and open-working techniques emerged.
These two techniques involve creating openings in
the solid surfaces of movements to reveal the beauty
of the mechanism, prioritising transparency and
aesthetics without compromising function. Open-
working (‘ajourage’) refers to partially cutting through
surfaces to reveal specific parts of the movement.
Skeletonisation, on the other hand, aims to lighten
and refine the movement’s structure to the utmost
degree, maximising transparency. This meticulous
work, carried out through cutting followed by filing,
is completed by bevelling the edges (anglage), and
carefully decorating each component.
While skeletonisation is not strictly considered a
watchmaking complication, as it does not introduce
any additional functionality beyond the basic indica-
tion of time, it is, nevertheless, a complex and precise
craft to practice. With horological mechanics today
being truly considered an art form, skeletonisation
has become a fundamental and enduring expression
of this art. Indeed, in certain instances, it even deter-
mines the architecture of the movement itself, which
then appears to float in mid-air, almost as immaterial
as the seconds slipping by… ■
1. BREGUET Tradition Tourbillon 7047. The new Tradition
Tourbillon highlights one of the most fascinating horological
complications of all times, with striking blue accents across
the fusee-chain tourbillon mechanism.
2. GRAND SEIKO Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon. In 2022
Grand Seiko unveiled its first mechanical complication: the
Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon. The story continues to unfold
with this latest iteration. Inspired by daybreak, its design per-
fectly complements that of the first.
3. AUDEMARS PIGUET Royal Oak Flying Tourbillon Open-
worked Sand Gold. First watch in Sand Gold: an 18k gold alloy
whose colour changes from white gold to rose gold with the
light and the movements of the wrist.
4. CHOPARD Alpine Eagle XP TT. Alpine Eagle, Chopard’s col-
lection of contemporary luxury sports watches, welcomes a
model with. The openworked mainplate and bridges, offering a
clear view of the L.U.C 96.17-S movement, a mere 3.3 mm high.
Committed Watchmaking
With the announcement of its “global partner-
ship” concluded in 2024 with Alpine Motorsports,
H. Moser & Cie. once again caught everyone off-guard.
Especially since this partnership covers the entire
spectrum of the Alpine brand, including, apart from
its involvement in Formula 1 through the BWT Alpine
F1 Team, the FIA World Endurance Championship.
To celebrate this new alliance, H. Moser & Cie.
promptly unveiled the Streamliner Alpine Limited
Edition, a strikingly sculptural watch, beautifully
skeletonised and featuring a cylindrical tourbillon.
Although connections between watchmakers and car
manufacturers around a shared passion for mechan-
ics are common, it’s fair to say that no one anticipated
seeing H. Moser & Cie. in this world. Yet, the brand
seems entirely at ease. “Collaborations are fasci-
nating as they allow us to explore new territories,
undertake new challenges with other professionals,
and share different perspectives,” explained Edouard
Meylan, CEO of H. Moser & Cie., at the announcement
of the partnership.
One year later, this exploration has clearly borne
fruit, alongside another surprise. As the company
explains, working with Alpine Motorsports was never
just about marketing, but about “choosing a more
demanding, authentic and committed path: that of
joint development.” Recent developments include
an unprecedented pair of watches: the Streamliner
Alpine Mechanics Edition, a connected watch spe-
cifically designed to meet the practical needs of a
Formula 1 team and the Streamliner Alpine Drivers
Edition, a mechanical chronograph featuring a fly-
back function and central display of minutes and
seconds, i.e. without auxiliary counters. This chron-
ograph, powered by the AgenGraphe movement
developed by Geneva-based workshop Agenhor,
is offered in a skeletonised version for the first time.
Its aesthetics result from collaboration with the driv-
ers, yielding an open-worked dial that reveals the
movement’s intricate mechanics and a colour palette
blending shades of blue and white, chosen to sym-
bolise both speed and Alpine’s identity.
According to H. Moser & Cie., this watch duo, avail-
able in a limited edition of 200 pieces, foreshadows
a long series of shared projects driven by a clear
vision: watchmaking that is “useful, committed, and
visionary.” ■ CR
H. Moser & Cie.
Steamliner Alpine Drivers Edition