Openworked watches give you a little sneak peak into the innermost workings of our favourite micro-mechanical wonders. Being able to see all the little gears and wheels turning, jewels glistening and the balance wheel spinning is something akin to a very real version of magic. And when done properly, an openworked watch is tantamount to a work of art. We've rounded up 9 openworked watches that we think you'd love to be unwrapping come Christmas morning, we sure would. Enjoy!
Arnold & Son TB88
Arnold & Son has a penchant for making some of the most incredible openworked watches, and the TB88 is one of its best examples. Featuring an openworked movement that Arnold & Son calls "inside out", the TB88 also has the appeal of featuring one of my all-time favourite complications, the deadbeat seconds complication. Clad in rose gold, this particular version of the TB88 is the perfect stocking-filler for Christmas this year.
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon
Encased in Bulgari's iconic octagonal-shaped sand-blasted titanium case, the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon boasts one of the world's thinnest flying tourbillon calibres. This ultra-thin openworked haute horlogerie beast is the epitome of true high-end contemporary watchmaking. Featuring all of the tell-tale signs of something completely out of this world, the paper-thin Octo Finissimo Tourbillon's openworked dial gives the lucky wearer a virtually uninterrupted view into the intricacies of the calibre.
Franck Muller V 45 T Gravity CS Yachting
Ok, I may have bent the rules a little for this next piece, but with half of its dial replaced by a gaping hole filled with one of the biggest tourbillon carriages I have ever seen, I figured that the Franck Muller V 45 T Gravity CS Yachting easily qualified as a viable openworked watch option for this list.
Hublot Classic Fusion Tourbillon Orlinski King Gold
Hublot's Classic Fusion Tourbillon Orlinski King Gold is another super complicated openworked watch that I felt compelled to feature. Admittedly, I'm not the biggest Hublot advocate, but the Classic Fusion Tourbillon Orlinski King Gold does look every bit a worthy watch to be included amongst these other openworked masterpieces.
TAG Heuer Monaco V4 Titanium
With a similar inverted-dial vibe as the Arnold & Son TB88, TAG Heuer's Heuer Monaco V4 Titanium is another contemporary approach to the art of openworked watchmaking. This particular model is clad in titanium and features one of the coolest, most avant-garde and modern dials on this list. Massive, massive fan. Definitely on my Christmas wish list.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton
I've long been a fan of Girard-Perregaux. I love the 1966 collection as much as I love its polarising Laureato family. The best of the bunch would have to be the Laureato Skeleton (Excluding the Laureato Flying Tourbillon Skeleton, of course). This openworked masterpiece of a watch is clad in rose gold and undeniably features one of the most incredibly finished skeletonised movements, chock full of stunning architecture like swooping curves, sharp angles and distinct patterns. I'll probably take this for Christmas over everything else on this list. Santa, this is the one.
Ulysse Nardin Executive Skeleton Tourbillon
Ulysse Nardin is entering somewhat of a renaissance period, and the Executive Skeleton Tourbillon is an indication of where the manufacture wants to go. Empty space adorns the openworked dial, with the focus clearly on that stunning tourbillon carriage. Perhaps there's not enough happening with the Executive Skeleton Tourbillon, but in my subjective opinion of a true openworked watch, Ulysse Nardin's Executive Skeleton Tourbillon is exceptional.
Corum Golden Bridge
From Corum we have the exceptional Golden Bridge. Featuring one of the most distinctive designs in watchmaking, the Golden Bridge also has the benefit of being characteristically unique, especially compared to the other pieces featured in this list. The Corum Golden Bridge is an openworked marvel and is not that dissimilar to a super ornate Christmas ornament.
Breguet Tradition 7027
Last but not least we have Breguet Tradition 7027. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Breguet is one of the kings of openworked watchmaking, with the Tradition 7027 being a wonderful example of the maison's openworking abilities. Christmas couldn't come sooner.
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