True ‘skeletonization’ also includes the trimming away of any non-essential metal on the bridge, plate, wheel train or any other mechanical part of the watch, leaving only a minimalist ‘bare’ skeleton of the movement required for functionality.
This just maked me want to bring back clear-plastic electronics.
🤩🤩🤩
As a kid my friend who owned an N64 got to use the clear-green controller. The rest of us always had to wrestle it out for the other three opaque controllers based on how fucked up the joysticks were.
I had that one 🥺
I still do :D.
Not super interesting looking except for the visible antennas and connectors.
I still think it looks interesting. But those are plastic cover panels underneath the clear plastic. You can see the screws through the back. So not quite the same.
Yeah all the components in the fairphones are modularized with no exposed electronics so it’s easy for non-technical users to swap defective parts without damaging anything. So nothing cool to see sadly, except for repairable design.
high-end watches are crazy. this is a 500 grand jacob & co astronomia:
they have tons of these, all with free-floating three-axis tourbillions.
I never liked Jacod & Co, I don’t find their watches useful at all. Imagine walking and your hand goes on the wall.
Imagine someone with Jacob walking near a wall…
they also have ones covered completely with diamonds so they can’t be read. usability is probably not their primary concern.
If you own a watch like this, probably someone else is walking for you. /s
Back when my wife and i were dating I kept talking about wanting a skeleton watch, but I never thought to communicate what that was, and didn’t know why she was always so profoundly unenthused by something I was showing interest in, it was unlike her. She was much happier about it when my folks got me one for x-mas and she found out it it was not, in fact, a watch decorated with skeletons, lmao.
Dude what is wrong with a skeleton-themed watch
I have one of the cheapest you can buy, a Relic. It’s been working great for me for over 10 years now.
There’s plenty to be had for under $50, actually. I had an awesome one, but broke the sapphire in it. That was like 20 years ago :-\
Not sure if this counts or not, but Swatch has many lovely pieces that showcase the internal components, most of which go for under $300. This one has been my daily driver for about 18 months now
I have honestly never seen a skeletonized quartz. That’s actually kinda cool.
I’ve never sesn a post that made me so ready to spend money before
They aren’t too expensive really, and I think it’s a great thing for people to have something like this that doesn’t rely on anything digital at all.
I looked at a few and there’s some nice designs for <£100 (~110$), but then i realised I’m already too attached to reading the time on my digital watch so i’d never really use it.
TIL there’s a fancy name for “replacing the back plate with glass.”
Clear bottom case is different from skeleton. The watchface is specifically designed for see through, as are mechanical parts.
Luxury brands have to somehow find a way to make the most mundane shit seem complex to justify their prices.
Who even wears watches anymore anyway? Oh right, people with too much money.
I’ve read that around 6 years ago many influencers bought high end watches and then the market crashed 2022. So your 80k something watch is worth 40k after that. And they didn’t wear them, straight to bank after the sale.
Reminds me of the NFT bubble, except that a watch is a fungible, physical object with an actual purpose - even if it has a stupidly inflated price.
people who want to know the time without relying on a glass slab the size of a sandwich?
I wear a Casio prefer it to “smart watches” and sometimes you want to know the time without taking out your phone. Like when driving.
Does your car not have a clock built into it?
Analog watches are cheap af and don’t need to be replaced like phones. 🤦♂️
could someone recommend a good cheap starter?
I’m always over stimulated by the choice and want something nice and quality for the money.
Is 200 too cheap?
Seiko makes excellent mechanical wrist watches. What is your intrigue? I’m assuming you like the idea of mechanical wrist watches and want a timepiece that is accurate and built to last. $200 is just a little below their entry price point I believe but you can always find used watches on eBay/Marketplace and the like. If you learn a little bit more about the industry then you might be able to find a bargain and get it serviced to work like new.
I got extremely lucky when I was fixated on the idea of owning or restoring a mechanical watch when I learned that my grandfather left behind a 1930’s Hamilton. Nothing super high end, but a watch that would probably go for $600 today and was my style. I find it hard to match my style today because it seems everyone is searching for a massive statement piece on their wrist. I just wanted a watch that ticks when its quiet, has character, and can be passed on to my own children.
Some companies have mechanical watches in the 400-500€ range that can go for 200€ used. I have a Junkers that I bought used for 200€ some years ago, and it’s got a glass bottom (other models do, too). But honestly, I wouldn’t make this a criterion, because you rarely see the back, and skeleton watches can sometimes look tacky.
Y’all talk about junkers at that price‽ Lol. Let me introduce you to my $12 Hamilton knockoff!
If you’re any dexterous at all, you can build a completely custom one that you choose all the parts for~$150. And it’s the same movement they use in some $1000+ pieces.
That’s the worst advice for someone who said they have too many options and are overstimulated
I’ve got one of these, and it’s the least expensive that won’t get sneers
https://www.orientwatchusa.com/collections/orient-bambino/ra-ag0002s30b
Festina. Reliable miyota movements.
Had one of these at one point. I enjoy the look.
As a watch collector, they’re usually on the cheap side. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but they’re usually on the shitty side as well. Kind of like those weird ass knives at truck stops are basically Chinese pot metal crap, they just want someone to think they’re cool who has no idea what they’re buying.
Maybe some, but can’t you actually get one that’s made well? I’ve seen a few for a couple hundred.
I have a few. They really run the gamut. I have some very nice pieces, and a handful of extremely cheap ones from Ali Express which, ironically enough, get more road time. Jaeger le coultre is kinda infamous for their skeleton guys, although known for being some what overpriced for the quality. You want to see a really cool one where the movement itself is built into the hands? Look up ulysse nardin freak.
I’ve found plenty that are very nice quality. I mean like the decently good Bulova/Citizen kind of quality, and not the TAG Hauer / Breguet kind. But that’s a pretty long way from shitty Chinesium. Although there’s plenty of shitty watches of all kinds, too.
Okay neat but why? Does look practically to tell time. Reminds me the time the Fossil Watch store sold sundail watches.
The image I posted is of the back of one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeleton_watch
Okay now that looks cool.
Why is for aesthetics. I have a pocket watch like this. I think the gear work is beautiful in its own way, and the front of it is like any normal watch face (just with a transparent face so you can see behind it).
My pocketwatch:
That’s a gorgeous one!
I am such a sucker for that jeweled polishing.
I think this does work better for pocket watches. I have a couple of wrist watches like this and I always have to take it off to show how cool the back is, which I feel defeats the purpose. The pocket watch I own that has this look is very easy flip around.
Seiko invented the self-winding watch, which has a big counterweight on the back, so as you moved around, the counterweight swung around, naturally winding the watch throughout your day. It was a notable innovation, and kind of confusing to describe, so Seiko put glass backings on their watches so you could watch the counterweight swing. I believe that was the event that made it a mainstream trend. Flashier brands like Seiko and Swatch were big fans of it, but higher end brands like Rolex and Breitling tend to avoid it to make a “We’re not like the others” kinda statement.
On top of what has already been said, some advice based on personal experience; if you plan to wear the watch, check what the watch face material is and avoid bio-ceramic. My first mechanical watch had a few big scratches within a few months which was kind of disappointing.
I had a fake Breitling that was like that. It was so beautiful just watching the mechanism tick away.
For anyone with Rolex money, look into a brietling! Most companies have a single movement representative of a line tested, while brietling certifies each and every one of their movements. They are THE best quality highish end watches.
I enjoy these very much, while also adoring my low-key mechanicals for the understated beauty.
Omg, where’s the nsfw tag?!? /s
unzips
So the unziping part is not sarcasm?
Correct
