Technical insights
Sapphire watch cases have traditionally been associated with thick walls, large dimensions and highly limited production. That image is beginning to change. In August 2025, Bianchet presented the UltraFino Sapphire, a curved tonneau-shaped sapphire tourbillon with an overall case height of only 9.8 mm. The manufacturer also highlighted a 1.2 mm case curvature, a 3.85…
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Transparent sapphire watch cases are becoming increasingly ambitious. Early sapphire case designs often relied on relatively simple round geometries, flat surfaces and separate structural components. Today, luxury watch designers are pushing sapphire toward flowing side walls, integrated lugs, deep internal cavities, sculpted crown guards and highly three-dimensional case architectures. This evolution creates striking watches, but…
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Skeleton watches are designed to reveal mechanical architecture rather than hide it. Open-worked bridges, exposed gear trains, visible balance assemblies and suspended movement structures turn the movement itself into the visual center of the watch. In a traditional metal case, however, much of that mechanical architecture remains visible only from the front or through an…
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