Skeleton models present a practical problem for watchmakers. How can a designer balance the desire to showcase the intricate mechanism with the very real issues of legibility? Instead of walking the tightrope between skeleton aesthetics and practicality, the independent Swiss boutique brand Zeitwinkel chose a cleaner and materially simpler solution - a transparent blue sapphire dial.
Transparent dials are not new to watchmaking, with examples in the industry spanning decades, but many modern examples belong only to the more accessible market segment. The new Zeitwinkel 273° Saphir Bleu stands out from the rest, representing a truly luxurious concept of a transparent dial, offering its owners the best of visible mechanics and a massive dial design.
Compared to the complexity of the dial and mechanism, the stainless steel case of the Zeitwinkel 273° Saphir Bleu with a diameter of 42.5 mm visually appears simple. The rounded smooth bezel, angular lugs, and massive crown at the “3 o'clock” position have an elegant polished finish.
However, relatively long sloping lugs can make this model appear even larger on the wrist than the numbers suggest, which pushes this design into the background. The sapphire crystal case back completes the set.
Of course, the blue sapphire surface of the dial is the signature dish of the new Zeitwinkel 273° Saphir Bleu model. Zeitwinkel allows the dial to breathe through widely spaced, airy asymmetric elements and thin applied scales that enhance the sense of depth and ease the legibility of the sub-seconds subdial at 6 o'clock and the power reserve indicator at 1:30.
Additionally, the large date indicator and main hands are much easier to read than in most skeletons, thanks to the wide framing of the indicator window and massive applied rings for the outer mains in midnight blue.
Overall, this bright blue transparent sapphire layer gives a funky and vibrant character of the early '70s, which unexpectedly combines with the clean and classic design of the rest of the dial. The bright hand-polishing of all dial elements, from the seconds scale to the thin alpha hand, provides an overall look and highlights the surface of the dial as a separate visual layer, distinct from the mechanism beneath.
Inside the Zeitwinkel 273° Saphir Bleu is the brand's in-house automatic movement ZW0103. Although the ZW0103 has a sufficient amount of decorative elements on its German silver plates and bridges through the case back (unfortunately, the brand could not provide images from this angle), including Côtes de Genève on the three-quarter plate and balance cock, the real visual spectacle is under the sapphire dial.
Here, almost all surfaces, except for the large wheels of the date indicator, are finished with shimmering pearl, and the edges of the bridges and three-quarter plate have polished chamfers. The watch is distinguished by reliability, with accuracy adjusted in five positions, and has a power reserve of 72 hours at a rate of 28,800 beats per second.
The Zeitwinkel 273° Saphir Bleu comes with a hand-stitched calfskin strap with a “crocodile” pattern in gray, brown, black, or dark blue, or with a sporty black rubber strap.
The new Zeitwinkel 273° Saphir Bleu model, with its new dynamic dial design and emphasis on legibility and spectacle, elevates the concept of a transparent dial to a new luxury height.
The Zeitwinkel 273° Saphir Bleu watch is now available from official dealers for 15,500 Swiss Francs. For more detailed information, visit the brand's website.
