Given the amount of care that goes into the finishing and decoration of a watch movement, it makes sense that brands should wish to show off the fruit of their labour through a sapphire case back. These exhibition backs have reached a degree of ubiquity such that a maker who chooses not to put its movement on display could almost be suspected of having something to hide! With the exception of dive watches, where water-resistance takes precedence over any other consideration, today's timepieces are not coy about divulging their secrets. Brands tell us that even the smallest, most hidden component is lovingly polished or chamfered. A matter of pride. Fortunately, few of us have put this statement to the test by prising open our watch's case to see inside. Now that everything is out in the open, there is no need to doubt their word.

This concern for horological veracity compounded the mechanical movement's power of seduction, as audiences fell in love with the intricacies beneath the surface of the dial. Built to principles from another era, as obsolete as they may seem, these mechanical calibres possessed the irresistible charm of an artefact that would defy time. From purely functional, mechanical movements became artefacts of immense beauty and artistry; a showcase for their makers' expertise. Contemporary design put paid to any lingering belief that these were outmoded objects. This was watchmaking for the connoisseur.

This was very much the feel of Watches and Wonders Geneva 2024. The rare few brands without a skeleton watch in their lineup were the ones that specialise in watches built for the great outdoors - and even they are switching allegiances. For example Norqain, whose "DNA resonates with an intrepid mountaineering spirit, constantly propelling us towards new horizons and endeavours", presented a skeleton version of its Wild One sports watch in carbon fibre, championed by Swiss tennis player Stan Wawrinka. Or TAG Heuer, which unveiled the latest iteration of its Monaco, a split-seconds chronograph that showcases the movement through sapphire crystals. Meanwhile, aviation-inspired Bell & Ross is expanding its BR 03 line with a skeleton version that captures the brand's "vision of futuristic watchmaking".

Panerai is the official sponsor of Luna Rossa, one of the teams that will battle it out in Barcelona for the 2024 America's Cup. The brand took everyone by surprise with its Submersible Tourbillon GMT Luna Rossa, cased in its proprietary Carbotech™, a highly resistant carbon-fibre composite. Furnished with an openworked, grid-like construction that reveals the mechanisms inside, this watch echoes the power and speed of the foiling yachts competing for the coveted trophy. Openworked dials, three-dimensional constructions, skeletonisation: watchmakers pull out all the technical stops to highlight the kinetic beauty of their movements. From the classical approach of Arnold & Son, with its Ultrathin Tourbillon, or Montblanc and its 1858 Unveiled Minerva Monopusher Chronograph, not forgetting Parmigiani and its Tonda PF Skeleton, to the more contemporary language chosen by Baume & Mercier for its Riviera Skeleton or Chopard and its Alpine Eagle 41 XP TT, the result is the same: a fascination with the bare bones of watchmaking.

From minimalised movements, the temptation of total transparency has proven too great to resist. H. Moser & Cie.'s Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton, Roger Dubuis' Excalibur Titanium Monotourbillon and ArtyA's Purity Stairway to Heaven are shining examples of the former while Hublot's Spirit of Big Bang Sang Bleu Sapphire, cased entirely in translucent sapphire crystal, is an illustration of the latter. Either way, the movement has the last word.