A skeleton that keeps its nerve
By Marco Bellini, Zurich ยท
Skeleton watches often look like a movement with the plates cut away and not much else. The Nebula was designed from the start to be seen from the front: the bridges radiate from the centre, so the whole calibre reads as one shape.
The A&S5201 is hand-wound with two barrels and 90 hours of reserve, beating at 3 Hz. The 40 mm steel case is 9.1 mm high and comes on an integrated steel bracelet. The bridges are black-treated with polished bevels, which gives the dial side depth without turning it into a jewel box.
Two complaints. Reading the time takes a second look, because the hands cross a busy background. And 3 bar of water resistance on a steel watch with a bracelet invites mistakes at the pool.
At about $18,000 to $22,000 it is not cheap, but the movement is a real in-house design, and few skeletons at this price are this well thought out.